Jessica Ortner

The reconfiguration of the European Archive in contemporary German-Jewish migrant-literature

Introduction

The reconfiguration of the european archive in contemporary german-jewish migrant-literature. Explore how contemporary German-Jewish migrant literature by Eastern European authors reconfigures European Holocaust memory transnationally, integrating marginalized events like Babij Jar.

Abstract

A considerable number of Eastern European migrant authors of Jewish origin are currently lifting Holocaust memory to a new level. Writing in German about events taking place in remote areas of the world, they expand the German framework of memory from a national to a transnational one. By partaking in reconsidering what is ‘vital for a shared remembering’ of Europe, this branch of writing reflects the European Union’s political concern for integrating the memories of the socialistic regimes in European history writing without relativising the Holocaust. In Vielleicht Esther, Katja Petrowskaja consults various national and private archives in order to recount the history of the mass shooting of over 30,000 Ukrainian Jews at Babij Jar – a canyon near Kiev. Thus, she ‘carries’ a marginalised event of the Holocaust into the German framework of memory and uncovers the layers of amnesia that have not only concealed the event amongst the Soviet public but also distorted and for ever made inaccessible her family’s past.

Review

This paper promises a timely and insightful contribution to the fields of German Studies, Memory Studies, and European literary criticism. By focusing on contemporary German-Jewish migrant-literature, the author proposes a vital re-evaluation of how Holocaust memory is being reshaped and expanded from a national German framework to a transnational European one. The central concept of "reconfiguring the European Archive" suggests a nuanced understanding of how literary production actively participates in and reflects broader political and cultural concerns surrounding shared remembering in Europe, particularly regarding the integration of diverse historical narratives without diminishing the Holocaust's singularity. A significant strength lies in the abstract's clear articulation of the paper's core argument: that a new wave of Eastern European migrant authors of Jewish origin are actively "lifting Holocaust memory to a new level." The abstract effectively demonstrates this through the chosen case study of Katja Petrowskaja's *Vielleicht Esther*. Her extensive archival work on the Babij Yar massacre serves as an excellent illustration of how marginalized events are being "carried" into the German framework of memory, confronting layers of amnesia within both Soviet and personal histories. This focus on an under-examined event and its literary representation directly supports the claim that these authors are expanding the traditional boundaries of German and European memory. While the abstract presents a compelling argument, a full paper would benefit from deeper theoretical engagement. Further elaboration on what precisely constitutes this "new level" of Holocaust memory and how it theoretically interacts with established concepts of post-memory, transcultural memory, or cosmopolitan memory would strengthen its academic impact. Additionally, while the practical example of Petrowskaja is strong, the paper could explore the methodological implications of analyzing how literature *itself* performs this "reconfiguration" of the archive, beyond simply recounting archival research. A more explicit engagement with the potential complexities or ethical considerations of integrating the memories of socialistic regimes alongside Holocaust memory, especially within a literary context, would further enrich this important and highly relevant research.

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