New Publication: Pohn-Lauggas/Schäfer (2026) - Wenn öffentliche Anerkennung verweigert wird. Familiengedächtnisse von Familien stigmatisierter NS-Opfer
In a new post on the blog "Reflections - Family History affected by Nazi Crimes", Maria Pohn-Lauggas and Miriam Schäfer discuss the effects of marginalization in memory politics on the family memories and biographies of descendants of stigmatized Nazi victims. Drawing on empirical findings regarding the descendants of those persecuted as “asocials” and “professional criminals,” those persecuted for homosexuality, Wehrmacht deserters, and Jehovah’s Witnesses, they demonstrate how a lack of public recognition, social shame, and ongoing stigmatization affect family memories of persecution.
“Die Aufnahme ... läuft. Interdisziplinärer Praxisworkshop zu Oral History” – October 8–9, 2026
On October 8–9, the interdisciplinary practical workshop on oral history will take place at the Lern- und Erinnerungsort Notaufnahmelager Gießen.
Dr. Miriam Schäfer will speak on the topic “Produktive Irritationen. Über vermeintlich gescheiterte Interviews,” and Prof. Dr. Maria Pohn-Lauggas will participate in the panel discussion “Lebensgeschichten erfassen - aber wie? Aktuelle Herausforderungen für die Interviewpraxis.”
New publication: Cé Sangalli (2026) - The nexus between enslavement and migration: Changing belongings in Darfur and North Africa
In a new article Dr. Lucas Cé Sangalli discusses how migration and enslavement are sociohistorically intertwined in shaping migration opportunities for people from Africa south of the Sahara. This article addresses this question through an analysis of 65 biographical-narrative interviews with migrants from Sudan, particularly Darfur, who travelled through North Africa to Europe.
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New publication: Schäfer, Miriam/ Könecke, Sarah (2026): „Da wird er einfach als Verbrecher dargestellt und das war er nicht“: Deutungsprozesse von Nachkommen im Kontext marginalisierter NS-Verfolgungserfahrungen.
In the journal Soziale Probleme 1/2026, Miriam Schäfer and Sarah Könecke draw on their biographical-theoretical, multigenerational research on the descendants of stigmatized victims of the Nazi regime to discuss the processes of interpreting family history in the context of marginalized experiences of persecution.
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Dr. Lucas Cé Sangalli Receives the 2026 Norbert Elias Book Prize
The award, presented by the Norbert Elias Foundation, honors outstanding scholarly monographs that draw particularly on the work of sociologist Norbert Elias. The award was given to Dr. Lucas Cé Sangalli for his book “Migrants from Sudan in Germany and Jordan: Changing Belongings in the Context of Life and Family Histories” (Göttingen University Press, 2024).
