Pioneer of thought work

Say what you think. Research what you want. Make art the way you like: everyone in Germany has these freedoms, as they form the basis of democracy - and are protected by the country’s Basic Law. Meet young people from Germany who reveal the different ways they experience this freedom. 

Is it possible to commemorate the Holocaust in 90 seconds? Susanne Siegert shows that it is. Her social media channels on Instagram and TikTok are called “Keine. Erinnerungskultur”, which is German for “No. Culture of Remembrance”. Hang on. No culture of remembrance? “In a podcast I once heard the idea that you can only literally remember things that you experienced first hand,” Susanne explains. She prefers the term “thought work” as she thinks of preserving the knowledge about the horrors of the Holocaust as work, especially for people who did not experience this time themselves.  

Commemorating the Nazi era is highly significant 

Commemoration of the Holocaust and the crimes committed in the National Socialist era is deeply rooted in Germany. Knowledge about the horrors of the past is kept alive through memorials, museums and events. A special aspect of German culture of remembrance is the freedom to engage with the past in a wide range of ways. Academic and artistic freedom as well as freedom of opinion enable people in Germany to find new approaches to commemoration. Whether in schools, at universities or in the art and cultural sector: people are not merely allowed to engage with history but actively encouraged to do so.  

Social media is playing an increasingly important role here, too. “Social media democratises the discourse, because everybody is able to join in and information is provided directly by those who are affected,” Susanne says. This gives rise to pluralism in the culture of remembrance that reflects all points of view, including those of groups of victims that still tend to find little public attention. 

Making knowledge about the Holocaust publicly available 

Through her activities on social media, Susanne helps to share knowledge about the Nazi era, also with a younger audience. She published her first post on Instagram in December 2020. “I had always had a keen interest in the Nazi era and I wanted to share this, because I was surprised about the amount of information on this topic that you can find in publicly accessible archives: original documents, witness statements, court records and images,” Susanne recalls.  

Information about the Holocaust is freely available in Germany. Aiming to raise awareness of history and encourage engagement with the past, the Federal Archives Act governs preservation of and access to state archives in Germany. It provides that documents created by state institutions and authorities must be made available to the public after a set period of time, usually after 30 years. These access rights contribute to knowledge about the Holocaust and National Socialist crimes being shared not only in academic circles but also with a wider public. 

Giving people a platform on social media 

Susanne noticed that a young audience showed great interest in her posts, and published her first video on TikTok in 2022. “I quickly found out that TikTok is just the right platform. You can find a young audience here, and you are quickly discovered by people who would like to learn more about the subject.” Her channels with around 300,000 followers have meanwhile developed into an archive about various aspects of the Holocaust. The information users can find here include lesser known facts about Germany's National Socialist past. In her videos Susanne explains, for example, why Adolf Hitler didn't like to show himself wearing glasses, which words that are still in use today originated in the Nazi era, or what role black soldiers from the US army played in liberating Germany. Her activities go far beyond her social media platforms by now. “I think it's fascinating how social media offers a platform for new groups of people. Four year ago, nobody would've thought to ask me about this topic and now I am about to publish a book about remembrance culture,” Susanne says.  

Susanne tries to point out reference points to people's present-day lives in her videos, in order to highlight the impact that the past has on the present. Young people and migrants in particular are adding new aspects and points of view to the exploration of German history, as Susanne can tell from engaging with her followers. “Young people are interested in new aspects, such as a queer or feminist perspective.” She does not want to replace documentation or teaching in school with her videos. “They are a good addition, though, for people who are interested in the subject,” the influencer points out.