Ravensbrück Memorial Museum
Book presentation and discussion with Götz Aly: "How Could This Happen? Germany 1933 to 1945"
27. September 2026 – 11:30 Uhr
In cooperation with the association Brückenschlag Fürstenberg e.V., the Ravensbrück Memorial Museum invites you to a reading with Götz Aly. The historian and journalist will present his latest book “Wie konnte das geschehen? Deutschland 1933 bis 1945” (German edition; How Could This Happen? Germany 1933 to 1945) at the Kulturgasthof “Alte Reederei” in Fürstenberg. The presentation will be followed by a discussion. Please note: The event will be held in German only. No interpretation will be provided.
About the book (translation of the publisher’s text, S. Fischer)
Hitler needed the war, the population feared it. Yet in the end, 18 million German soldiers terrorised Europe. How did this happen? Why did hundreds of thousands take part in unprecedented mass crimes?
The answer is complex. The Nazi Party promised social advancement and prosperity, while at the same time keeping people constantly in motion, without pause, without time to reflect, driving them towards war. As belief in victory declined, the so-called “people’s community” turned into a community of perpetrators. Everyone could know the guilt that Germans were incurring. Fear of what would happen after a defeat was deliberately intensified. Götz Aly describes the methods of rule by which the Nazi leadership turned millions of Germans into compliant perpetrators or into followers numbed by war, and he points to aspects that remain disturbingly relevant today.
About the author (translation of the publisher’s text, S. Fischer)
Götz Aly is a historian and journalist. He worked for taz and the Berliner Zeitung and has held visiting professorships. His books have been translated into many languages. In 2002 he received the Heinrich Mann Prize, in 2003 the Marion Samuel Prize, and in 2012 the Ludwig Börne Prize. In 2017 he published his major study on the European history of antisemitism and the Holocaust, “Europa gegen die Juden 1880–1945”. This book was awarded the Geschwister Scholl Prize in 2018.
Please note: Unlike most events at the memorial, which are free of charge, an admission fee of 10 euros applies.
The event takes place in cooperation with the association Brückenschlag Fürstenberg e.V.
The event will be held in German only. No interpretation will be provided.
Venue
At Kulturgasthof "Alte Reederei"
Brandenburger Straße 38
16798 Fürstenberg/Havel
