The Political Scene | The New Yorker

Sabine Bode Talks to Burkhard Bilger About German Children of War

Episode Summary

A troubling question looms over the Kriegskinder, Germans were children during World War II: Was my father a mass murderer? These innocent Germans carried the guilt of their nation while their families often remained silent. <em>The New Yorker's</em> <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/contributors/burkhard-bilger">Burkhard Bilger</a>, whose grandfather was a Nazi, speaks with Sabine Bode, a journalist who encourages the now-elderly Kriegskinder to speak about their unacknowledged trauma. Bilger wrote an <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/09/12/familienaufstellung-germanys-group-therapy">article for the magazine about Familienaufstellung</a>, a type of therapy that has become popular in Germany as a way to work through the damage the war left on this generation.   <p> </p>

Episode Notes

A troubling question looms over the Kriegskinder, Germans were children during World War II: Was my father a mass murderer? These innocent Germans carried the guilt of their nation while their families often remained silent. The New Yorker's Burkhard Bilger, whose grandfather was a Nazi, speaks with Sabine Bode, a journalist who encourages the now-elderly Kriegskinder to speak about their unacknowledged trauma. Bilger wrote an article for the magazine about Familienaufstellung, a type of therapy that has become popular in Germany as a way to work through the damage the war left on this generation.