On Displaying Violence:

How did post-war societies process their experiences of violence and destruction caused by the Second World War and the concurrent occupation of large parts of Europe by National Socialist Germany? A previously overlooked but historically influential form of coming to terms with this desolation are the exhibitions that were organised in post-war Europe between 1945-48 by institutions, groups, and individuals from diverse backgrounds. In these times of social hardship, political insecurity, enduring violence, and uncertain future, these exhibitions aimed to document and visualise the consequences of the Holocaust and the Nazi crimes.

For the first time, the Deutsches Historisches Museum presents the history of this pan-European phenomenon through early exhibitions in London, Paris, Warsaw, Liberec, and Bergen-Belsen. Our focus is on the different forms and content with which the exhibition organizers – most of whom were victims of Nazi persecution and Holocaust survivors – addressed acts of violence, resistance, loss of cultural heritage, and identification of perpetrators. The different notions of the future that found expression in these exhibitions are also illustrated.

Analysing the visual language of the time within its respective local and national context, the exhibition compares historical sources and traces the motivations of those involved, as well as the impact of the exhibitions, many of which travelled across Europe. Original artefacts, photographs, films, documents, artworks, and multimedia presentations provide insights into the challenges and background of this “first look back.”

The exhibition is being realised in cooperation with the Project Group for the Documentation Centre “German Occupation of Europe in the Second World War” (ZWBE). An accompanying programme conceived by the DHM and the ZWBE will explore the topic of German occupation and violent rule in Europe in greater depth.

The curator of the exhibition is Dr Agata Pietrasik.