Description
This paper addresses the overlooked aspect of how memories of the German Greater War hunger period (1914-24) were transmitted across generations. While existing scholarship has emphasized its role in shaping Nazi food politics, there is a significant gap in understanding the intergenerational transfer of memories.Focusing on secondary educational materials and museum exhibitions between 1914-45, the study investigates the evolving significance of the Greater War hunger period, recognizing textbooks and exhibitions as not only conduits of national history and cultural identity but also as tools wielded for political purposes. These educational mediums provide valuable insights into changing memory politics surrounding the hunger period.
The study unveils a deep intertwining of Greater War hunger representations with (overseas) colonial ambitions. In textbooks and exhibitions, the hunger period was portrayed as evidence of the supposed biologically endangerment of Germans. Persistent visions of a German empire in Africa promised a way out of this endangerment. Especially in Nazi Germany, this dual narrative of colonialism and hunger functioned to solidify popular support, particularly among the youth who engaged with educational materials, for the government.
This new perspective on the interconnection between hunger memories and colonial ambitions is essential not only for grasping the adaptable nature of hunger victimhood but also for enhancing our comprehension of the pivotal role played by Greater War hunger representations and educational materials in mobilizing the youth for war.
Period | 12 Jun 2024 |
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Held at | University of Cambridge, United Kingdom |
Degree of Recognition | International |
Keywords
- hunger
- colonialism
- Weimar
- WWI
- Germany