When Nationalism Fails. A Comparative Study of Holocaust Museums in ex-collaborationist countries

As nationalist-populist forces in many European countries that collaborated with Nazi Germany in the genocide of Jews gain power, the remembrance of the Holocaust in museums and cultural institutions becomes more and more contentious and politicized: Cultural policies are enforced that downplay or deny the role of these nations in the Holocaust. An interdisciplinary, collaborative research project funded by the Gerda Henkel Foundation and involving researchers from different universities in Ireland (Centre for War Studies at the University College Dublin), Italy (Roman Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of Rome Tor Vergata) and Austria (Central European University Vienna) examines how Holocaust Museums are affected and how historical facts are twisted when nationalism demands to do so. This short animated film gives a small insight into the central issues of the project.