The Holocaust, the systematic murder of six million Jews, along with millions of others—Roma, Sinti, LGBT, disabled people, political dissidents, and more—was one of the most horrific crimes in human history. Germany has, rightly so, dedicated decades to reckoning with this dark chapter. But somewhere along the way, this reckoning turned into a performative cult of memory—one that often seems more about German self-image than universal lessons for humanity.
The Holocaust as a Sacred, Unchallengeable Event
Every German schoolchild is taught that the Holocaust was the worst crime ever committed and Hitler the worst dictator in history. Is that true? Maybe. But genocide is not a competition. The point of remembering history should be to prevent future atrocities, not to turn past ones into an untouchable, incomparable benchmark.
Yet, when other nations dare to compare their own historical horrors to the Holocaust—the Armenian genocide, the Rwandan genocide, the crimes of Stalin or Pol Pot—Germans often react with discomfort. “You can’t compare anything to the Holocaust! If you do, you’re trivializing the Holocaust—because nothing was as bad.” But if the goal is learning from history, shouldn’t we be able to analyze patterns of oppression, dehumanization, and state violence across different contexts?
Germany’s rigid insistence that the Holocaust stands alone in its evil does not serve justice—it stifles meaningful discussion. It suggests that only their genocide is 100% bad, while others are somehow less significant. This is not just arrogant; it’s counterproductive to global efforts against oppression.
Germany’s Selective Human Rights Advocacy
One would expect that a nation so obsessed with learning from history would be a fierce defender of human rights everywhere. But Germany’s moral awakening seems to have been oddly selective.
Blind Support for Israel: Germany’s post-Holocaust mantra has been “Never again.” But somehow, this morphed into “unconditional support for Israel.” Never mind that Israel’s government engages in policies that human rights organizations—including Israeli ones—condemn as apartheid and ethnic cleansing. When the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu, Germany immediately declared it would not enforce it. So much for international law.
Palestine? What Palestine?: For decades, Germany treated Palestine as a non-issue. Only recently, after global pressure, has there been a slight shift—but even now, criticism of Israel is often conflated with anti-Semitism, shutting down legitimate debate.
Anti-Semitism vs. Islamophobia: Germany has at least 30–40 official commissioners for combating anti-Semitism. How many are there for Islamophobia? Zero. There are 5.6 million Muslims in Germany and only about 250,000 Jews. Yet, Muslim women face discrimination in the workplace, hijab bans for teachers were only lifted recently, and they remain in place for judges. Why is one form of racism taken seriously while the other is ignored?
Learning the Wrong Lessons
The Holocaust should have taught Germany that dehumanizing any group is wrong, that state violence must be curbed, and that human rights are universal. Instead, Germany learned:
- Anti-Semitism is bad (correct, but why stop there?).
- Israel must be protected at all costs (even when it commits war crimes?).
- Other genocides are not as important (because only the Holocaust was uniquely evil?).
This is not progress—it’s narcissism disguised as morality.
Germany, You Can Do Better
Germany’s Holocaust remembrance has become a brand of guilt and redemption that is more about German identity than preventing future atrocities. True atonement would mean:
- Fighting all forms of racism, not just anti-Semitism.
- Supporting international law consistently, not just when convenient.
- Allowing honest discussions about all genocides, not treating the Holocaust as a sacred exception.
The Holocaust was horrific—but the lessons from it should be universal. Germany, you can do better.
