Writing Holocaust History

In this collection of essays, Christopher R. Browning explores the evolution of Holocaust historiography and illustrates key research trends. He begins with traditional studies on history “from above” and then shifts his attention to more granular history “from below,” examining the Holocaust at the village level and through the biographies of relatively unknown men who participated in quite different ways. And finally he examines how a Holocaust historian became involved in current events, refuting Holocaust denial in the courtroom and providing contextualized insight into the present challenge to American democracy. Taken together, these essays highlight the shifting focus in Holocaust scholarship from Germany to Eastern Europe, policy-making to implementation, leaders to participants, and perpetrators to victims.