Historical consciousness from generation to generation

Abstract

The article discusses possible meanings of «historical consciousness from generation to generation”. This is done in respect to theory, terminology, and empirical data. In this context the construct of a personal historical consciousness and – drawing on genetic structuralism and socio-cultural theory – constituents of a developmental theory of historical consciousness are explicated. The terminological and theoretical explications are then discussed as to which respects intergenerational matters play a role in them. In a further step empirical explorations are presented concerning a field in which intergenerational matters have a prominent status at least in Germany: the history of national socialism in historical consciousness. The respective empirical reconstructions mainly touch upon media of historical representation, aspects of identity development, and fundamental epistemic operations.