War in Ukraine: Trauma and re-traumatization
Nora Hespers: My grandfather’s trauma still has an impact today
In her podcast “The Anachronist,” journalist Nora Hespers told the story of her grandfather, who fought the Nazi regime as a member of the resistance. Her book “Mein Opa, sein Widerstand gegen die Nazis und ich” (My Grandpa, his resistance against the Nazis and I) was published in 2021. In this publication, one of the questions she explores is how far her grandpa’s suffering still has an effect to this day; she also considers the impact his experiences have had on her. At the beginning of the war we have spoken with Nora Hespers about intergenerational trauma and we summarize her thoughts on the subject here.
The trauma that my father and my grandfather experienced through persecution and war resonates with me. It affects me in my everyday life and in my perception of the world. My father tried to cope with his trauma by displaying extreme behavior. He was unshakeable, unassailable and did not accept any criticism. That is how he held his ground. He ate food that had gone moldy, and he was incapable of throwing anything away. He used to keep all the things that were most important to him with him at all times. His car was crammed with stuff that he felt was essential for his survival, and that could include anything from toiletries to cooking utensils.
It is very important to me not to make a distinction between refugees from Ukraine and people who have fled from Syria or African countries or from the Balkan war.
Nora Hespers
I am very shaken by this new war – just as I have been by all recent conflicts. The collapse in Afghanistan, for instance, has also been an emotional shock for me. Having tried to come to terms with my grandfather’s story, I feel I can understand better what people go through and feel in situations like that.
The war in Ukraine makes me think of fleeing
The war in Ukraine might even affect us directly if there is an attack on a nuclear power station there, for example. Scenarios like that make me want to be prepared in case I have to leave Germany. These thoughts have never been completely alien to me – in threatening situations, I tend to think about where I might flee to and what things I would have to take with me. I have no idea whether this is an intergenerational trauma or whether other people are affected in the same way considering the acuteness of the current threat. But I imagine that families who have experienced war are more aware of the need to take precautions.
Equal treatment for all refugees
It is, by the way, very important to me not to differentiate between refugees from Ukraine and refugees from Syria or African countries or the Balkan War. When people have to flee, the question is not where they come from or which religion they belong to. A humanitarian emergency can affect anyone, the same help is needed for everyone. If no one had been there to help my family when the Nazis invaded the Netherlands, I would not be here today.
National Socialism: No common culture of remembrance
This situation brings home the clear message that there is no common European culture of remembrance relating to National Socialism. Everyone tells the stories that give the best impression of their country or their countrymen. That holds good for us as well. We tell the stories of resistance, but we overlook the stories of the perpetrators. We talk about the war, but not about the persecution. Many countries that fought against Germany have neither reappraised their history in any way nor – and this is an even greater omission – have they entered into any international dialogue.
War heroes or peace process?
Owing to his experience, my grandfather probably would have recognized the threat that Russia poses much earlier. He would have recommended resistance earlier on. I have grown up in a democracy, which is why I opt for a democratic and diplomatic, non-violent solution. All things considered, I have the impression that the younger generation responds differently to this situation of conflict than the older generation. We have different narratives running in parallel right now; some people glorify war or resistance heroes while young people tend to focus on the peace process.