Test of Courage NS Time: Uncanny Fascination and High Sensitivity of Gen Z

The generation of 16-25 year-olds (Gen Z) is significantly more interested in the Nazi era than their parents' generation (75% vs. 66%) and associates the confrontation with acute social problems such as racism and discrimination. The monstrosity of Nazi crimes ("true crime") triggers a mixture of fear and fascination - the confrontation has the psychological character of a test of courage, in which Gen Z also wants to trace the motives of the perpetrators without prescribed morals. These are the central findings of a large qualitative-in-depth psychological as well as quantitative-representative study "Gen Z and Nazi History: High Sensitivity and Uncanny Fascination" commissioned by the Arolsen Archives.

Results of the depth-psychological rheingold study on Gen Z attitudes toward National Socialism (01/2022) commissioned by the Arolsen Archives.

The surprisingly high interest of Gen Z can also be explained by their special life situation in a complex world with a multi-optional culture of provision. In contrast, the Nazi era, with its obligation to unconditional obedience and the völkisch fixed categories, is an extreme counter-image. The confrontation is thus a borderline experience for young people and satisfies the attraction of groping one's way into taboo areas. In doing so, they want to put themselves in the victim's shoes and empathize with injustice, but also explore evil, the perpetrator's perspective (54%): How could it come to this? How would I have behaved during the Nazi era? "Young people want to see the morality of history for themselves," says Stephan Grünewald, psychologist and founder of the rheingold institute. "They want to participate in the discourse and be allowed to question opinions."

But these musings are also scary: nearly a third of Gen Z fears that the topic could have too much of an impact, even a rapturous, seductive side. "I'm really afraid that I would have sided with the Nazis back then, too, just to look better."

Overall, it is striking that the reference to the present time had a very high relevance for the test persons. Freed from the feeling of personal guilt, the young people build a bridge to their own everyday life and try to better understand their own lifeworld in the confrontation with the Nazi era - this includes their own developmental tasks (e.g., "How individual may I be?") as well as societal problems (e.g., "fake news," racism or aggression).

"I perceive in the results of the study among young people a great openness, curiosity and freedom of thought," explains Floriane Azoulay, director of the Arolsen Archives. "Today, this generation is experiencing that democracies can be in danger. I find it very understandable that remembrance for them is linked to looking into their own lifeworld, where populist, authoritarian and intolerant voices can be heard ever louder."

This results in a high willingness to deal with the Nazi era - a central concern of the client Arolsen Archives, the world's most comprehensive archive on the victims of National Socialism and UNESCO World Document Heritage. However, the young people expect an open discourse in which they can freely discuss the topic of the "Nazi era" without fear of saying the wrong thing. A constructive and contemporary discussion also needs insight into concrete realities of life, a fusion of digital and analog offerings, and easily understandable information.

You can download the entire study here:

On the sample and method of the study:

The aim of this study is to analyze the significance of National Socialist history for Generation Z and to find contemporary approaches to the topic of National Socialism that can be connected with it. For the survey, a total of 100 respondents, adolescents and young adults between the ages of 16 and 25 and adults between the ages of 40 and 60 (comparison group), were interviewed in depth psychologically (in-depth interviews and group discussions). In selecting the test persons, care was taken to ensure that sociodemographic structures (gender, regional distribution, age distribution, education and occupation) were represented as accurately as possible. The in-depth explorations were conducted and analyzed using the rheingold method. In a subsequent quantitative survey, a total of 1058 adolescents and adults were interviewed. The study is representative for age, gender and region in the respective age groups.

Press contact Arolsen Archives:
Dr. Anke Münster
Tel.: 0173/9787118
E-mail: anke.muenster@arolsen-archives.org

Press contact rheingold Institut:
Ismene Poulakos
Tel.: 0173/5492191
E-Mail: poulakos@rheingold-online.de

The Arolsen Archives are the world's most comprehensive archive on the victims and survivors of National Socialism. They preserve original documents on concentration camp inmates, deportations, forced labor as well as survivors' testimonies. The archive is thus an important source of knowledge for today's society. The collection, which contains references to some 17.5 million people, is part of the UNESCO World Documentary Heritage. The historical documents are put online by the Arolsen Archives. This gives people all over the world access to them.

rheingold conducts around 5,000 two-hour explorations a year on all areas of everyday life. We, around 45 permanent and 55 freelance employees, explore markets, media and culture. This has resulted in a unique wealth of experience on a wide variety of topics. From very intimate human phenomena to politics and everyday culture. rheingold thus has the most comprehensive, always up-to-date, qualitative knowledge about consumers worldwide.

The results of the study in detail:

Surprisingly high interest of Gen Z in NS era

Generation Z's general interest in the National Socialist era is surprisingly high: 75% say they are interested in the subject. This interest is even higher than that of their parents' generation (66%), today's 40- to 60-year-olds, who were surveyed as a comparison group in the study. In in-depth interviews and group discussions, one could sense the enormous fascination, but also the eeriness, of this topic among Gen Z. The parents' generation was clearly more distanced and also less likely to let the emotional oppression get to them.

The high interest is based on three factors:

• Gen Z is liberated from the feeling of personal guilt
• Gen Z sees the NS era as a counter-image to their multi-optional provisioning culture
• Gen Z experiences dealing with this extreme time as a kind of psychological test of courage

Feeling of not being to blame facilitates access

Compared to previous generations, Gen Z has the opportunity to look at the Nazi era in a more unbiased way, freed from the feeling of their own guilt. Almost no one of the younger generation knows anyone personally who really experienced the Nazi era, the megalomania, the pain, but also the guilt:

"It's not the fault of today's generation."

"I can't do anything for then, but I can do something for now."

For Gen Z, the Nazi era is an extreme counter-image to the multi-optional contemporary culture

For Generation Z, the era of National Socialism is a period in history that represents an extreme antithesis to the world in which they live. For Gen Z - like almost no generation before it - lives in a democratic world of absolute over-optionality. When it comes to finding a career, entertainment or consumption, all possible avenues are open to them. They are very free in their decisions and grow up with the feeling that they can develop individually and achieve almost anything if they strive for it. At the same time, they have to find and tread their own path in a complex world. That is both a blessing and a curse.

This multi-optional culture of provision is opposed by the decidedly dominant culture of the Nazi era with its very clearly defined categories, ideas and convictions. The leader cult, the duty to unconditional obedience and to völkisch thinking, to which the individual and diverse had to bow, makes the Nazi era a counter-image that is as fascinating as it is terrible. In all its facets, it is an absolute extreme period in which attempts were made to enforce rigid ideas and fantasies of grandeur by all means.

The confrontation with the Nazi era has the character of a test of courage

The frightening otherness and monstrosity lends the Nazi era the aura of "true crime" for Gen Z. It is perceived as attractive. It is perceived as attractive, incredibly chilling, outrageous and absolutely extreme, and triggers a kind of fear fascination: "The Nazi era was so absurd and cruel, sometimes it's hard for me to really believe these incidents."

The confrontation with this absolutely violent time therefore often has the character of a test of courage for young people. The search for the borderline experience, the curiosity to feel one's way into extreme and taboo realms and to gain an insight into this monstrous time is appealing to many young people.

However, almost a third of Generation Z confess that this appealing confrontation with the topic of National Socialism is also frightening. They fear that the topic could have a major impact and that they will no longer be the same person after intensive study. Loosely based on Nietzsche, "If you look too long into an abyss, the abyss will also look into you."

The fear of being intoxicated by the straightforwardness and power development of the Nazi era or of being seduced by the ideas of salvation of that time resonates with some.

"I'm really afraid that I would have sided with the Nazis back then, too, just to look better."

While a large part of Gen Z decisively distances itself from the Nazi era after the confrontation, there are indications that a small part of Gen Z finds a solution or answer in the beliefs of the Nazi era and sympathizes with right-wing ideas - without openly admitting to it in the study. They feel overwhelmed by the many options and complex challenges and long for simple and clear answers. The NS era appears to them as a time of clear, unambiguous determinations and intoxicating dominance and development of power.

The Nazi era helps Gen Z better understand key life issues in their current lives

Young people experience that coming to terms with the Nazi era not only means coming to terms with the past, but also gaining a better understanding of their own present and living environment. For it is precisely at the age of 16 to 25 that they are faced with existential life questions that affect their future development and their own identity: Where do I belong? How individual can I be? How much can I determine, but also be determined? What do I have to know and be able to do in order to have a good life? What can and may I dream of? In which system do I live and how does this system change?

It is the extreme of the Nazi era that shows Gen Z the consequences that can come with these questions.

The Nazi era sensitizes Gen Z to social problems - with a special focus on racism

These life issues provide Gen Z with a very relevant personal approach to the topic of NS. At the same time, they sensitize young people to important acute problems in society, especially racism, but also exclusion, division and radicalization. 48% of Generation Z see references of current political and social developments to NS history. When answering the question of what the most important problems of today's society are, the topic of racism is considered very relevant - here the greatest difference to the comparison group can be seen with regard to all answer options (39% Gen Z to 14% comparison group). For young people with an immigrant background, the issue of racism is even more relevant (46%).

60% of Gen Z agree with the statement that each of us has slight racist traits and should therefore take a look at this issue.

Receptivity to right-wing ideologies, fake news, the rise of conspiracy theories, anti-Semitism, and increasing aggression are other current issues associated with the Nazi era:

"I would be lying if I said that the mechanisms of the Nazi era did not frighten me. If history repeated itself, it would affect me."

"It was drilled into the heads of the people at that time that the Jews were the cause of all evil. Total propaganda, they believed that and finished off the Jews!"

"I watch short videos on Tik Tok every day where, for example, African Americans talk about their experiences with racism. That triggers a desire in me to learn more and understand how something so bad can happen to a single person."

Gen Z recognizes a strong connection between today's fake news problems and the Nazi propaganda of the time - media and information are sometimes questioned very critically. It is clear that Gen Z is dealing sensitively and intensively with current problems.

"The beginnings of Nazism show how change can creep in and how dangerous manipulation can be."

Respondents with an immigrant background also find access to the Nazi era through the life issues described, but they take a different perspective. Often directly confronted with topics such as everyday racism, they classify this as a parallel to the past. At the same time, they see themselves more on a possible victim's side. They recognize Germany as their home, but ask themselves how individual they are allowed to be or to what extent they have to adapt.

Barriers and obstacles to coming to terms with the Nazi era

In addition to fascination, the study was also able to identify the central barriers and obstacles to dealing with the Nazi era. In addition to the fear of being overwhelmed by feelings in the face of the enormity of the events, many often fail to recognize the connection to their own lifeworld. Particularly when school-based teaching focuses too much on factual knowledge, young people do not find a bridge to their own everyday lives and then experience the topic as abstract, over-complex and boring.

Fixed opinions and prescribed morals often give the impression of a closed discourse that can no longer be questioned. "When teaching about the Nazi era, I always had the feeling: be careful! There will be no conversation or discussion. You can't have your own opinion there. There is a consensus on how to find it and learn it!"

47% have the impression that one is not allowed to say many things on the subject without being pigeonholed. 44% therefore want an environment in which they can discuss the subject of the Nazi era freely without fear of saying the wrong thing. They want to learn their own lessons from dealing with the topic and recognize the moral of history.

54% think that the topic of Nazi history is often only examined from the victim's side and would like to see a change in perspective between victims and perpetrators. They want to put themselves in the victim's place and empathize with the injustice, but they also want to trace the perpetrator's role: How did it come about, how does one become evil? Could one also be capable of such cruel deeds oneself?

"I also want to see the motives of all the SS officers, concentration camp leaders, or people who betrayed their Jewish neighbors. If the reasons are transparent, I would definitely find that something like that could happen to me, too."

Recommendations for the mediation of the Nazi period

Generation Z wants a constructive and contemporary approach to the Nazi era. Pure theory and superordinate facts are not enough. They prefer insight into concrete realities of life and real examples. An open exchange and a culture of discussion without moral constraint are clearly demanded. There is a need for choice in order to be able to explore interesting topics in greater depth. References to one's own living environment, but also regional and global references to very concrete examples, facilitate access. Important for the discussion is also the biographical occupation with identification figures such as Anne Frank or Oskar Schindler.

Ideally, Gen Z wants to do their own research and go on a discovery tour. This is facilitated by a fusion of digital and analog offerings that are intelligently linked. From Generation Z's point of view, their favorite forms of communication are easy-to-understand information in podcasts, videos or Twitch.tv, and exciting stories in films or series. They imagine stories from contemporary witnesses in holograms or chats, for example, and want options for engaging with original sources and documents.

The better this experiencing and learning process works for Generation Z, the better we can protect them from the seductions of very 'simple' answers and help young people find and shape their own path in a complex world.

"History makes us sensitive and makes us look closely."

"I always tried to be better and more beautiful than my classmates. I put them down to make myself look better. Through that time in history class, I understood that there's really no justification for treating other people worse."