MAPACA

Mid-Atlantic Popular &
American Culture Association

The Holocaust remains one of the darkest chapters in human history. Since its end in 1945, select accounts, photographs, and videos have been available to the public in order to document the destruction of the Holocaust. However, with the growing influence of the Internet, these aforementioned resources are ever-more prevalent for public viewing and consumption. For instance, on January 27, 2015, as part of the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp, Google organized an extensive online exhibition detailing several facets about the Holocaust. Beyond that, there are countless Websites and social media sites that allow individuals to view and even comment on Holocaust-related imagery. There is indeed much promise in having such widespread availability of this imagery online—particularly in terms of the potential to greater educate the public about the history and trauma associated with the Holocaust. Such media can even serve to answer some gaps in the historical record about the Holocaust as was accomplished with the release of Glenn Kurtz’s recent 2014 book and related short film “Three Minutes in Poland.” However, this media also can be fraught with some degree of peril too—especially with regards to the ability of individuals to exploit such content as a means to denigrate the Holocaust and its victims or survivors. This presentation will also give some consideration to how Holocaust imagery may differ from imagery of other wartime and related traumatic events with particular consideration to how such imagery may further illuminate our understanding of what constitutes “evil.”