Jennifer Yoder explored Angela Merkel’s usage of memory politics as chancellor of Germany. She identified three overarching themes that Merkel uses in her speeches to address the past: responsibility for the past, humanitarianism as a response to the past, and solidarity over nationalism. For this response, I will focus on the theme of humanitarianism as a response to the past and the importance of Merkel’s background in her choice to shift the narrative of memory politics in Germany.<\/p>\n
In contemporary politics, particularly with regards to the Syrian refugee crisis, Merkel has taken a strong, pointed response. Merkel argued that Germany, the EU, and the world at large ought to have more tolerance for people fleeing from tyranny. I think Merkel’s response is admirable and sets a world precedent. I was surprised by the world’s lukewarm and even negative response to her position.\u00a0 Yoder identified and clarified the connection that Merkel makes between present-day politics with the Syrian refugee crisis and the Holocaust by explaining that Merkel’s explicit acknowledgment of the Holocaust forces Germany to remember and consider their history in the face of contemporary politics. She forces us to think, how can we (on an individual, community, country, and world level) learn from mistakes and take preventative action? I found this\u00a0question extremely pertinent to U.S. politics. Why can’t the U.S. take more decisive action in the face of such profound human suffering? Does it take a mass genocide of your loved ones to make a nation care? Can Merkel’s approach to the invocation of memory politics in the past somehow be applied broadly in the United States?\u00a0Merkel’s emphasis and willing to take such a strong stand, despite being a relatively conservative politician, speaks to the value she places on Germany’s history and the importance of kindness, understanding, and respect for others. I hope that U.S. leadership can take elements of Merkel’s into their own decision making whether that be with or without memory politics. By invoking the past in the present, Merkel bolsters her own response and connects present-day Germans\/people to an event that some might prefer to forget and leave in the past.<\/p>\n
Something that stood out to me was Yoder’s focus and emphasis on Merkel’s biography\/personal history.\u00a0 Yoder suggested that Merkel’s relatively young age, upbringing in the GDR behind the Iron Curtain, and academic background as a physicist set her apart from former German leaders.\u00a0<\/span>Yoder pointed out that Merkel is part of a generation\u00a0of children\/grandchildren of Holocaust survivors who want to preserve the history\/memory of their aging relatives. This seemed like one of the most influential factors in Merkel’s attitude towards addressing the past. Merkel’s generation and those younger than her must work harder to learn about the past than those who experienced it. Merkel seems to have taken that generational attitude to mean that she should use her position of power to educate and remind all Germans of their past.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In summary, Merkel connects Germany’s history with contemporary politics to implore Germany and the world at large to take a humanitarian approach to crisis situations. This forced me to consider whether the U.S. could take a similar approach and if it would have the same effect. Some of her belief and emphasis on the past stems from her relatively young age.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Jennifer Yoder explored Angela Merkel’s usage of memory politics as chancellor of Germany. She identified three overarching themes that Merkel uses in her speeches to address the past: responsibility for the past, humanitarianism as a response to the past, and solidarity over nationalism. For this response, I will focus on the theme of humanitarianism as … <\/p>\n