Katharina Meyer
Katharina Meyer studied social sciences and sociology in Hanover and Frankfurt am Main from 2008 to 2015 with a specialization on (psychoanalytical) social psychology, microsociology, and forms of discrimination. She wrote her Master’s thesis on “The Effects of National Socialism on the National Identification of Youth in Germany.” From 2015 to March 2018 she has been a research assistant and doctoral candidate at the Europäisches Kolleg Jena. She also chairs the Society for Psychoanalytical Socialpsychology (GfpS) and is active as a member of Humanity in Action.
Research project
On the Historicization of National Socialism from the Perspective of Youth in Germany (working title)
The perception and reappraisal of Nazism by later generations has been marked by a variety of changes since the transition to the so-called “fourth generation.” This transition entails an unbridgeable gap between the new generation and the events themselves while at the same time having a formative influence on the social conditions in which the debate takes place, as well as bringing new demands and needs with regard to the history of Nazism. The dying-off of the generation that lived through or played an active role in National Socialism makes it necessary to consider the consequences of an increasing personal distance to the actual events and to address the relevance of family members in the historical perception of today’s young people. It is also important to take into account that the family backgrounds of German youth are not homogeneous. Their ancestors were not just perpetrators, bystanders, or victims of Nazism, but may have been on the side of the Allies or occupied nations, or perhaps have no biographical connection to National Socialism at all. Linked to this is the question of the present-day educational environment for history. Many school students have preconceived notions or images – from relatives, friends, or the media – before the topic is even discussed in school. A further factor is the medialization of the Holocaust, especially by way of feature films and the representations of National Socialism in the media.Hence, changes in the way Nazism is being dealt with can be attributed to diverse influences not limited to its historicization, its becoming a part of cultural memory, and the death of contemporary witnesses. In this context, the project investigates the significance of Nazism to young people as well as their approaches to it. The investigation is qualitative in nature, taking the form of group discussions, interviews, and observations.
Research interests
Anti-Semitism and racism
Gender und queer Studies
National Socialism and its mechanisms of transmission