The controversial liberation: like Germany redefined May 8th

The controversial liberation: like Germany redefined May 8th

On May 14, 2025, the debates about German history and in particular May 8, 1945, when the National Socialist regime was ended by the Allies, will once again be discussed intensively. A current survey of March 27 shows that over half of the Germans want an end to the past debates. The opinion that many respondents believe that there were only a few Nazi criminals and the majority does not fault is particularly striking. These assessments come at a time when historians and political scientists critically question the role of Germany and the responsibility for the Nazi rule.

Thomas Kück, a prominent representative of this discussion, emphasizes the need to question the idea of ​​a final line. He refers to the different historical experiences in Eastern and West Germany, which have a strong influence on the perception of the liberation. In particular, many women in the east did not experience violence as a liberation and thus create a deeper dimension in the memories of this time.

the liberation and its different perceptions

Tobias Lenz makes it clear that Germany was not freed from fascism on May 8, 1945, but by the Allies. Lenz sees the exemption as a starting point for a success story that is also linked to the international responsibility of Germany, including European integration and the occurrence of international law and the right to exist of Israel. These views combine with Kück's psychoanalytic perspective, which speaks of a liberation of the "demonic evil" of the Nazi system.

The discussion with the audience illuminates that the liberation in the war was often violent and not perceived as such, especially in eastern Germany. Indeed, May 8, 1945, many Germans perceive as the beginning of a lengthy liberation process, which raises the central question of the responsibility of today's student generation. A historical reflection shows that the end of the war in Germany was perceived as a defeat on the one hand, but on the other hand also as a liberation from a totalitarian dictatorship. This ambivalence is reflected in various social narratives.

memory culture and current challenges

80 years after the Second World War, the culture of memory faces new challenges. Contemporary witnesses that were not children in 1945 become rare, which makes it difficult to mediate this critical period. History revisionist actors who are increasingly identifying with National Socialist politics show how important it is to develop a clear memory and attitude. According to a blog post from the PRIF, a survey shows that a majority of Germans are willing to put a “conclusion” among the crimes of the Nazi regime. These developments are worrying and indicate a creeping revision of the culture of remembrance.

May 8, 1945 is officially recognized as the day of liberation, but the day does not remain a legal holiday in Germany, which continues to revitalize the discussion about its social importance and the associated memory practices. In the GDR, this day was celebrated as a "day of liberation", but in the early Federal Republic the memory was long shaped by silence.

The diversity of society demands a concretization of memorial beliefs in order to meet different perspectives. In this context, the demand is to recognize May 8th as a nationwide holiday. Voices like those of Esther Bejarano, which pleaded for this recognition in 2020, show that the debate about the archives of the past and their importance for the present is unabated.