Verdrängung einer „schnell ablaufenden Episode“. Der Umgang der Technischen Universität Berlin mit ihrer NS-Vergangenheit im Spiegel ihrer Jubiläen

Abstract

: The reopening of the Technische Hochschule Berlin after the Second World War was prohibited by the Allies due to the institution ’ s strong involvement in Nazi war crimes. Instead they demanded to reestablish the institution as a Technical University – the first of its kind in Germany. As such, the institution was obligated to set up a department of humanities. One of the purposes of this new found department was to investigate the history of the institution during the NS-regime. By examining institutional jubilees celebrated after World War II, this contribution analyzes how the University dealt with its Nazi past with a long term perspective. The article regards these anniversaries as benchmarks to check whether the institutional status of educational establishments has an influence on its culture of remembrance. The article suggests an approach different form prevalent concepts regarding university jubilees as not just cultural but also political events.Ultimately the text argues, that jubilees do not only correspond with an obscure Zeitgeist, but also with specific political interests of individuals and groups.