Microsoft Word - Acta Updated.pdf

The article discusses Holocaust denial and its various forms in post-Communist East Central Europe. The author, Michael Shafir, highlights the paradox that while Holocaust negation isn't inherently good or bad for Jews, it remains a significant aspect of regional history and politics.

Key Points:

1. Holocaust Denial Spectrum: Denial ranges from explicit emulations of global negationism to country-specific defensive forms and utilitarian attempts exploiting political contexts. It's implicit, particularistic, and varies in intensity and motivation.

2. Communist Legacy: The former Communist regime's "organized forgetting" of the Holocaust has influenced post-Communist attitudes, partly facilitating and explaining Holocaust denial.

3. Three Denial Postures:
- Outright Denial: Direct rejection of the Holocaust's existence or significance.
- Deflective Denial: Questioning the scale or nature of atrocities while not denying their occurrence.
- Selective Denial: Acknowledging some aspects but minimizing overall impact, often focusing on specific cases or groups.

4. East Central European "Comparative Trivialization": This specific aspect involves downplaying the Holocaust in comparison to other historical events or suffering, reflecting regional political and cultural contexts.

5. Mobility Between Categories: Individuals can move between denial postures, indicating a dynamic interplay of factors influencing Holocaust memory and interpretation.