In this Monday evening's BIPR talk based on his acclaimed book Never Again – Germans and Genocide after the Holocaust, historian Andrew Port explored Germany's complex and evolving responses to genocide in the postwar era. Focusing on the atrocities in Cambodia, Rwanda, and Bosnia, Port investigates how Germany's haunted historical memory, particularly of the Holocaust, has shaped its moral and political reactions to mass violence abroad. The book, shortlisted for the prestigious Laura Shannon Prize, moves beyond official declarations to examine tangible actions, debates, and ambivalences that define Germany's reckoning with its past. Germany, perhaps more than any other country, has been burdened by the weight of its 20th-century crimes. Yet the postwar period presents a paradox: while grappling with its Nazi past, Germany also became a model of democratic success. Port's book examines this contradiction through the lens of German responses to foreign genocides, analyzing the cognitive factors (values, beliefs, moral imperatives) shaped by the Holocaust and their influence on foreign policy. The chosen cases of Cambodia, Rwanda, and Bosnia were not only temporally distant from the Holocaust but also occurred during key moments in German history, including the Cold War and national reunification.

Port emphasizes the dual impulses that shaped German attitudes: on one hand, fear and resentment over immigration and foreignization; on the other, a deeply rooted sense of obligation to aid victims of atrocities. This tension was especially pronounced during the 1990s, when genocides in Rwanda and Bosnia challenged a newly unified Germany to define its role on the world stage. The question emerged: would Germany act on the promise of "Never Again," or would its historical guilt compel inaction? This ambivalence was evident in Germany's initial hesitation to intervene in Bosnia, where reports of concentration camps eerily echoed its own past. Debates raged over whether the legacy of Auschwitz mandated military restraint or compelled action to prevent similar horrors. Port argues that these debates highlight the complexity of memory: Germany's own postwar victimhood, refugee experiences, and moral trauma all shaped how it perceived, and responded to, foreign suffering.

Importantly, Port's book critiques both the moralization and instrumentalization of memory in political discourse. "Never Again" became a rhetorical weapon across the political spectrum, with genocide invoked to justify or reject various foreign and domestic policies. This moral framing, while rooted in genuine historical reflection, sometimes alienated opposing voices and obscured pressing contemporary realities. The final portion of the talk addressed recent controversies over Germany's response to the conflict in Gaza. Critics argue that Germany's rigid memory culture, centered on the Holocaust, has stifled open debate, especially when allegations of Israeli misconduct arise. Port warns against conflating all critiques of Israeli policy with antisemitism, while also acknowledging rising antisemitic incidents in Germany. He cautions that equating genocide solely with the Holocaust risks minimizing other atrocities and undermines the universality of the "Never Again" pledge. Ultimately, Port suggests that Germany's story offers both inspiration and caution. Its postwar transformation remains remarkable, but its memory politics, if too rigid or selective, can backfire. The challenge lies in confronting the past without letting it inhibit moral clarity in the present.

hosted by Professor Mark Gilbert


Andrew I. Port is Professor of History at Wayne State University and former editor-in-chief of the flagship journal Central European History.

Port's newest book, Never Again: Germans and Genocide after the Holocaust, appeared in the spring of 2023 with the prestigious Belknap Imprint of Harvard University Press. Never Again looks at German reactions to genocide in other parts of the world after 1945, with a focus on Cambodia, Bosnia, and Rwanda. It is one of five books shortlisted for the 2025 Laura Shannon Prize in Contemporary European Studies, which is considered "one of the preeminent book prizes in the field of European studies."

He is also the author of Conflict and Stability in the German Democratic Republic and the recipient of the DAAD Prize for Distinguished Scholarship in German and European Studies.