220003 Nazi camps: from testimonies to theories (GSH) (WiSe 2024/2025)

This seminar explores the complex history of Nazi concentration and extermination camps by combining personal narrative with sociological analysis. A brief introduction to the history of Nazi camps between 1933 and 1945 will be followed by sessions devoted to the study of two types of texts. First, we will explore the lived experiences of survivors through individual testimonies that provide a deeply personal perspective on the atrocities committed in the camps. Second, we will engage with sociological theories and frameworks that analyse the broader structures and functions of Nazi camps in the context of state-sponsored terror, social control and genocide. We will pay particular attention to the intersections between individual testimonies and sociological theories. To what extent do witnesses attempt to transform their episodic knowledge into a general understanding of what actually happened? What is the role of individual experience in sociological theories? How do the theories of survivor sociologists differ from the sociological theories of thinkers who did not live in the camps? By integrating individual and theoretical perspectives, the seminar aims to promote a comprehensive understanding of the Nazi camps.

This seminar is designed for students from Bielefeld University, Touro University Berlin and Warsaw University and will be co-taught in English by Piotr Filipkowski (Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences), Kornelia Kończal (Bielefeld University) and Stephan Lehnstaedt (Touro University Berlin). Part of this seminar is a research trip to Berlin fully funded by the German-Polish Science Foundation.

Students interested in attending this course are expected to be curious about the history of East Central Europe, transnational history and memory studies, willing to gain unique insights into cutting-edge research and have good English skills.

Learning Outcomes

get acquainted with the history of NS concentration and extermination camps across Europe
analyze and interpret individual testimonies from NS camp survivors
understand sociological theories explaining the systemic nature of NS camps
critically evaluate the role of memory and narrative in historical and sociological contexts
creating compelling, original arguments
asking questions that integrate theoretical perspectives and research findings
identifying the main approaches to the study of the social and cultural history in multilingual settings

Teilnahmevoraussetzungen, notwendige Vorkenntnisse

Course Requirements

Enrolled students are required to regularly attend classes, to participate in the class discussions, which are based on the readings for that particular session, and to be co-responsible for chairing one of the debates. Students missing a class are requested to notify the instructors via email before the class.