Event summary and podcast: Contemporary History in Dialogue with Jonas Hahn and Zarin Aschrafi
In 1957, Israeli student Jochanan Bloch founded the first German-Israeli Study Group at Freie Universität Berlin. Following the Berlin model, similar groups were formed at other West German universities in the years that followed. By the mid-1960s, a total of 19 such groups existed simultaneously, with between 600 and 800 members. Against the backdrop of the experiences of National Socialism and the Holocaust, members in Germany were committed to coming to terms with the Nazi past, combating anti-Semitism and fostering closer ties with Israel.
In his study, Jonas Hahn has embedded the history of this student association within the broader context of post-war German history and early German-Israeli relations. Drawing on an extensive collection of sources, the author provides a socio-historical analysis of the early days of German-Israeli relations, in which student and social activists played a pioneering role and, through their commitment, paved the way for political developments and the official establishment of diplomatic relations between Germany and Israel in 1965.
He presented his book in Berlin as part of the “Zeitgeschichte im Dialog” series. Zarin Aschrafi provided commentary on his lecture. The subsequent panel discussion was moderated by Kristina Meyer. “Zeitgeschichte im Dialog” is a collaboration with the Federal Chancellor Willy Brandt Foundation.
The event is available as a podcast in the “Zeitgeschichte erleben” series.
Source: Leibniz Institute for Contemporary History (in German)