Der Held, der keiner war – Reflexionen über die Legende vom Soldaten Josef Schulz
The Hero That Never Was – Reflecting on the Legend of the Soldier Josef Schulz

Summary/Abstract: The article reflects on the relations between Serbs and Germans against the background of the still existing impact of the Second World War – the tragedy happening a lifetime ago. “Heldensuche – Die Geschichte vom Soldaten, der nicht töten wollte“ (“The Hunt for a Hero – The story of the soldier who wouldn’t kill”) – meticulously researched and comprehensively documented by Michael Martens – builds the framework for reflections on how outbreaks of violence could happen within the scope of so-called retaliatory measures. Using the example of the Serbian writer David Albahari, it is illustrated how through the synthesis of emotion and remembrance art work emerges, i.e. how research about the perpetrators can be integrated into literature. Finally “The Hunt for a Hero” is put into the context of the postwar era, thus distinctly brightening its intended objective.

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