Previous MEMO studies

With "MEMO Germany - Multidimensional Memory Monitor", the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on Conflict and Violence Bielefeld (IKG) has been researching since 2018 what, how and for what citizens of Germany historically remember. The aim is an empirical documentation of the culture of remembrance prevailing in Germany, recorded in the form of a representative opinion survey addressed to a cross-section of the population.

One particular focus is on remembering the Shoah and the persecution, eviction and extermination of individual people and groups of people during the National Socialist era. MEMO Germany shows what is historically significant for citizens and their own attitudes towards the culture of remembrance. Numerous debates take place concerning the state of the culture of remembrance in relation to National Socialism. MEMO provides data on which culture of remembrance is reflected in citizens' perceptions and experiences. This is intended to make the debates more objective. The assessments obtained by inquiries also provide impetus for contemporary historical-political education in Germany.

Studies and focus reports

All studies are also available in German and some in Russian. Since 2020, a focus report summarizing the most important findings has also been published.

All MEMO Studies

Study MEMO Germany 2022

STUDY PROJECT PARTNERS

MEMO Germany – MEMO Multidimensional Remembrance Monitor - STUDY V

Germans' memories of World War II are centered on events and places in Western Europe. This is a result of MEMO - the Multidimensional Remembrance Monitor. The fifth study on German culture of remembrance shows that 58.5% of the 1,000 representative respondents have never visited a place of remembrance of World War II and its victims located outside of Germany intentionally. Those who visited a memorial site outside Germa-ny most often refer to France, and there to the warfare and the war graves in Normandy.

Michael Papendick, Jonas Rees, Maren Scholz & Andreas Zick / Institut für interdisziplinäre Konflikt- und Gewaltforschung (IKG) Universität Bielefeld
Berlin, Bielefeld 2022
33 Pages
Language: German, English
- MEMO V study (PDF, 4 MB)

Info graphics 2022

A map of Europe in which, for each state, a percentage figure quantifies the proportion of those who associate the state with World War II. — The map of Europe shows which countries (except Germany) respondents associate with World War II.

Younger people tend to consider the degree of involvement of representatives of persecuted groups in German remembrance culture to be sufficient less frequently than older people. — Agreement with the statement that the perspectives of the representatives of the persecuted groups are sufficiently represented in the culture of remembrance, broken down by the age of the respondents.

Most of the respondents see Germany as having a moral responsibility towards the group of Sinti and Roma. — The approval ratings for the moral responsibility of the German state towards the Sinti and Roma living today.

Material on MEMO V (2022)

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MEMO Study 2022 (PDF, 4 MB)

MEMO Study IV (2021)

A differentiated understanding of Germany’s National Socialist past can help to oppose tendencies to instrumentalize and relativize history. This is one of the conclusions reached by the “Multidimensional Remembrance Monitor – MEMO Deutschland IV/2021” published by the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on Conflict and Violence (IKG) at Bielefeld University. MEMO is an annual survey funded by the EVZ Foundation (Remembrance, Responsibility and Future). Because of the revisionist incidents in the context of the so-called “corona demonstrations,” the study looked at how the participants responded to comparisons between current events and National Socialism. The results show that, when asked directly, around 90 percent of the respondents disagree that the suffering of the German population during the Covid-19 pandemic can be compared with that of people during the time of National Socialism.

More than 80%

of the respondents deny, that their ancestors had forced laborers working at their companies, in their households, or on their farms. (MEMO-Study 2021)

Info graphics 2021

Grafik: Was kann vor einer Wiederholung von etwas wie dem NS schützen? — © Stiftung EVZ, Sernau Heilmeyer Gestaltung

Grafik: Gleichsetzung von Corona-Pandemie und NS-Zeit — © Stiftung EVZ, Sernau Heilmeyer Gestaltung

Grafik: Schätzungen zum Ausmaß der NS-Zwangsarbeit sind bei Jüngeren höher und damit näher an der Realität. — © Stiftung EVZ, Sernau Heilmeyer Gestaltung

Grafik: Offenheit für "neue Wege" der Auseinandersetzungmit NS-Geschichte ist bei den Jüngeren am stärksten ausgeprägt — © Stiftung EVZ, Sernau Heilmeyer Gestaltung

Grafik: Verschwörungsglaube und Geschichtsrevisionismus — © Stiftung EVZ, Sernau Heilmeyer Gestaltung

Infografik: Ereignisse mit NS-Zusammenhang nach 1945 — © Stiftung EVZ, Sernau Heilmeyer Gestaltung

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MEMO Study III (2020)

The third study assesses participants’ subjective knowledge of different aspects of National Socialism, such as their knowledge about the everyday life and attitudes of the German population in the time of National Socialism; it further addresses films as specific ways of critically examining the period of National Socialism in more detail and examines participants’ retrospective interpretation of what happened in Germany in 1945 – end of the war, defeat or liberation?

65%

of the respondents assessed that they themselves would have helped potential victims during the time of National Socialism. A different picture emerges when the population as a whole is the subject: respondents think that only 15% of the German population helped victims during the time of National Socialism.
57,8%

of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed that their own family’s history is part of the German culture of remembrance. (MEMO 2020)

Infografiken 2020

Grafik: Kriegsende als "Befreiung", "Neuanfang", "Kapitulation" oder Niederlage? — © Stiftung EVZ, Sernau Heilmeyer Gestaltung

Grafik:Täter:innen, Opfer oder Helfer:innen? — © Stiftung EVZ, Sernau Heilmeyer Gestaltung

Grafik: Zustimmung zu "Die Geschichte meiner eigenen Familie ist ein Teil der deutschen Erinnerungskultur." — © Stiftung EVZ, Sernau Heilmeyer Gestaltung

Grafik: Zustimmung zu "Ich mache mir Sorgen, dass die deutsche Erinnerungskultur von Rechtspopulist:innen vereinnahmt wird." — © Stiftung EVZ, Sernau Heilmeyer Gestaltung

Grafik: Schätzungen zur Anteilen von Opfern, Helfer:innen und "Bescheid-Wissenden" aufgeteilt nach Haltung der Schätzenden zur Schlussstrichdebatte — © Stiftung EVZ, Sernau Heilmeyer Gestaltung

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MEMO-Study III 2020 (PDF, 404 KB)

MEMO Study II (2019)

The present study is enabling us to trace developments in Germany. In addition, MEMO II deepens the topics that were only touched on in the first survey. In particular, the perception of and ways of critically examining the time of National Socialism in Germany were enquired about in more detail. MEMO II, was conducted in November and December 2018 after critical reflection on the results with experts from the fields of science and practice of the culture of remembrance.

Infographics 2019

Grafik: Ein Drittel der Befragten sieht Parallelen zwischen der NS-Zeit und aktuellen Entwicklungen. — © Ultramarinrot – büro für kommunikationsdesign

Grafik: Die Wirkung von Gedenkstättenbesuchen sind vor allem emotionaler Natur. — © Ultramarinrot – büro für kommunikationsdesign

Grafik: Die Hälfte der Befragten verneint "Mitläuferschaft" unter den Vorfahren. — © Ultramarinrot – büro für kommunikationsdesign

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MEMO-Study II 2019 (PDF, 807 KB)

MEMO Study I (2018)

With "MEMO Germany - Multidimensional Remembrance Monitor", the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on Conflict and Violence Bielefeld (IKG) has been researching since 2018 what, how and for what german citizens historically remember. MEMO I was conducted as a representative telephone survey from December 2017 to February 2018. The results were made available to a broad public in the form of this report. The study is designed as a long-term observation.