Home after Fascism: Italian and German Jews after the Holocaust

Anna Koch's book, "Home after Fascism," explores the first-person homecoming stories of Jews in East Germany, West Germany, and Italy and how they reconnected to the countries that had destroyed their homes, ostracized them, and killed and imprisoned their loved ones. She argues that the development of emotional communities was essential to this reconnection, helping returnees process and reinterpret their feelings toward the countries they had fled. The book reveals the resilience of a displaced generation of Jewish people following different paths across Europe to recover the feeling, reality, and power of home.

Format: Hardback
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 07 November 2023
Publisher: Indiana University Press

After the Holocaust, many Jews sought to return to their former homes in Europe. The experience of these returnees was complex and varied, shaped by a range of factors, including the political context, social attitudes, and economic conditions of the countries they returned to.

In East Germany, for example, Jews who returned to their former homes faced a difficult situation. Many had been persecuted by the **** regime and had lost their families and possessions. They were also subjected to discrimination and social exclusion by the communist government that had taken power in the aftermath of the war.

Despite these challenges, many Jews in East Germany were determined to return to their homeland. They formed emotional communities that helped them process their feelings towards the country that had destroyed their lives. They emphasized their emotional connection to their comrades and their shared history of persecution.

In West Germany, the situation was somewhat different. Jews who returned to their former homes faced a more welcoming reception from the German public. However, they also struggled to come to terms with their past and the role that Germany had played in the Holocaust.

Many West German Jews emphasized their detachment from their past and their desire to build new lives in their homeland. They sought to distance themselves from the **** regime and the Holocaust, often emphasizing their contributions to German society and their integration into the German culture.

In Italy, the situation was different again. Jews who returned to their former homes faced a more complex situation, as Italy had been occupied by **** Germany and then by the Allies. Many had lost their families and possessions and were subjected to discrimination and social exclusion by both the German and Italian governments.

Despite these challenges, many Jews in Italy were determined to return to their homeland. They emphasized their historical attachment to their homeland and their belonging within the national community of Italy. They formed emotional communities that helped them process their feelings towards the country that had destroyed their lives.

Overall, the experience of Jews who sought to return to their former homes in Europe after the Holocaust was complex and varied. It was shaped by a range of factors, including political context, social attitudes, and economic conditions. Despite the challenges they faced, many Jews were determined to reclaim their sense of home and rebuild their lives in their former countries.

Anna Koch's book, "Home after Fascism," provides a rich and detailed account of the experiences of Jews who returned to their former homes in Europe after the Holocaust. Through a series of interviews, correspondence, and archival research, Koch explores the variety of ways in which these returnees reconnected to the countries that had destroyed their homes, ostracized them, and killed and imprisoned their loved ones.

One of the key themes of Koch's book is the development of emotional communities among returnees. She argues that these communities helped returnees process and reinterpret their feelings toward the countries they had fled for their lives and safety. Jews in West Germany, for example, emphasized detachment and marking their distance to justify living in a country of murderers. Communists of Jewish origin in East Germany, on the other hand, stressed an emotional connection to their comrades. And Italian Jews emphasized the historical attachment to their homeland, highlighting their belonging within the national community of Italy.

Koch's book also sheds light on the challenges that returnees faced in their efforts to recover lost or looted homes and possessions. Many returnees faced discrimination and social exclusion from their former communities, which made it difficult for them to rebuild their lives. They also struggled to make sense of their persecution and find a way to reclaim a sense of home.

Despite these challenges, Koch's book reveals the determined resilience of a displaced generation of Jewish people following different paths across Europe to recover the feeling, reality, and power of home. The stories of the returnees in this book are often moving and inspiring, demonstrating the strength and perseverance of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

In conclusion, the experience of Jews who sought to return to their former homes in Europe after the Holocaust was complex and varied. It was shaped by a range of factors, including political context, social attitudes, and economic conditions. Despite the challenges they faced, many Jews were determined to reclaim their sense of home and rebuild their lives in their former countries. Anna Koch's book, "Home after Fascism," provides a valuable insight into the experiences of these returnees and their efforts to recover the feeling, reality, and power of home.

Weight: 608g
Dimension: 159 x 236 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780253066954