EUPeace Dialogue Explores Holocaust Literature in Giessen

On 3 June 2026, Swedish literary scholar and author Daniel Pedersen joined students, academics and members of the public at Justus Liebig University Giessen for an EUPeace Bridge Dialogue on Holocaust literature. In conversation with Dr Charlotte Kitzinger, Managing Director of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at JLU, Pedersen discussed his book Natt och aska. Förintelsens litteraturer and invited the audience to reflect on how literature can keep individual experiences, difficult questions and historical memory present. The evening was organised by the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, the Arbeitsstelle Holocaustliteratur at JLU, and EUPeace.

Connecting Literature and Democratic Responsibility

Professor Alexander Goesmann, Vice President for Studies and Teaching at JLU, opened the evening by linking the discussion to current challenges for democratic societies. He pointed to the pressure on democratic values worldwide and to the risk that the Holocaust may become more distant as the last eyewitnesses pass away. Referring to Hannah Arendt, he encouraged participants to see independent thinking, diverse perspectives and the ability to live with ambiguity as important foundations for academic learning and democratic coexistence.

Literature as a Space for Reflection

The conversation introduced participants to different forms of Holocaust literature, including diaries, survivor accounts, poetry, novels and graphic narratives. Pedersen showed how these texts can give readers access to personal perspectives and emotions that historical overviews alone cannot always convey. The audience was encouraged to consider how reading can open space for empathy, questioning and critical reflection.

Remembering Across Generations

Pedersen and Kitzinger also discussed the difference between texts written by people who experienced the Holocaust and works written about it by later authors. Using examples such as Steve Sem-Sandberg’s novel The Emperor of Lies and Art Spiegelman’s Maus, they explored how testimony, imagination and responsibility shape the way the Holocaust is represented in literature.

Dialogue for the Present

The evening enabled participants to connect literary questions with wider concerns about remembrance, democratic culture and the role of reading today. A question from the audience on what may be lost when Holocaust literature is read less widely led to a discussion on how books can help people engage with the past in a personal and reflective way.