With the exhibition "After Hitler. The German Confrontation with National Socialism", the Haus der Geschichte in Bonn sheds light on how the relationship between Germans and the Nazi past has developed over the generations. It shows how personal experiences, cultural influences and political events shape the collective memory. A central exhibit of the show is a bust of Adolf Hitler, which the sculptor Hedwig Maria Ley made and buried in the garden after the end of the war - a symbol of the repression and silence of the war generation. The exhibition questions this silence and places the criticism of subsequent generations in context.
The Haus der Geschichte thus makes it clear that the confrontation with National Socialism is still highly topical 90 years after Hitler came to power. The rise in anti-Semitic crimes and the success of right-wing populist parties in Germany can currently be observed. One disturbing example is the destruction of a book box in Berlin that contained works about the Holocaust. The exhibition addresses such incidents and illustrates how important remembrance remains for democracy.
