Controversial Berlin exhibition explores WWII in the developing world
Billed as a portrayal of “a forgotten chapter in history,” the exhibition “The Third World in the Second World War” is the culmination of several years of research across more than thirty countries, initially undertaken by a group of freelance journalists based in Cologne.
Karl Rössel from the group described their work as an attempt to dispel the “Eurocentric view” of World War II. He said they were inspired while working on another project decades ago about protests against the Vietnam War in the developing world.
“We realised then similar movements had been organised in these countries against fascism in the Second World War,” he told The Local.
“We wanted to look up the contribution of people in these countries to the fight against fascism in history books, but found there was nothing in the German history books. We thought this was scandalous, so decided to do something to change it.”
The journalists, supported by researchers at Recherche International, first published their work in the 2005 book “Our Victims Don’t Count” (Unsere Opfer zählen nich), released to critical acclaim. The opening of the exhibition this week in Berlin was timed to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II in Europe on September 1, 1939.
The show looks at the contributions of soldiers and civilian groups in the fight against fascism on all continents outside of Europe. But it also covers examples from these areas of collaborators with fascism and persecutions of Jewish people outside of Germany.
“This is not just a minor part of World War Two, but rather the second half of this war, often forgotten,” Rössel said.
But just a few days before its opening, the exhibition had to be moved from the advertised location at the Werkstatt der Kulturen, after anti-racism activist groups including media watch organisation Der Braune Mob, contacted the workshop’s director Philippa Ebéné about the inclusion of Nazi collaborators in the Middle East....
Read entire article at The Local
Karl Rössel from the group described their work as an attempt to dispel the “Eurocentric view” of World War II. He said they were inspired while working on another project decades ago about protests against the Vietnam War in the developing world.
“We realised then similar movements had been organised in these countries against fascism in the Second World War,” he told The Local.
“We wanted to look up the contribution of people in these countries to the fight against fascism in history books, but found there was nothing in the German history books. We thought this was scandalous, so decided to do something to change it.”
The journalists, supported by researchers at Recherche International, first published their work in the 2005 book “Our Victims Don’t Count” (Unsere Opfer zählen nich), released to critical acclaim. The opening of the exhibition this week in Berlin was timed to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II in Europe on September 1, 1939.
The show looks at the contributions of soldiers and civilian groups in the fight against fascism on all continents outside of Europe. But it also covers examples from these areas of collaborators with fascism and persecutions of Jewish people outside of Germany.
“This is not just a minor part of World War Two, but rather the second half of this war, often forgotten,” Rössel said.
But just a few days before its opening, the exhibition had to be moved from the advertised location at the Werkstatt der Kulturen, after anti-racism activist groups including media watch organisation Der Braune Mob, contacted the workshop’s director Philippa Ebéné about the inclusion of Nazi collaborators in the Middle East....