Jacob Eder's Book Challenges German Memory Culture on Holocaust

Historian Jacob Eder, a professor at the Barenboim-Said Academy in Berlin, has published a new book titled "Jenseits der Staatsräson" (Beyond the Reason of State) that critically examines Germany's memory culture regarding the Holocaust. Eder argues that the slogan "Never again is now" misunderstands the ongoing trauma of Shoah survivors, many of whom suffer from trauma only decades later. The book focuses on the phrase "Israel's security is part of Germany's reason of state," first uttered by Angela Merkel in 2008 before the Knesset, which has become a battleground in debates about Israel. Eder contends that this formula shuts down discussions rather than fostering them, with some using it to label any criticism of Israel as taboo-breaking and others viewing any solidarity as complicity. The 46-year-old historian, who grew up near Traunstein, conducted the interview with Der Freitag via Zoom. The book aims to challenge the notion that Germany has successfully overcome its past, highlighting that the suffering of Holocaust survivors persists.