In this episode, Dr. Nils Roemer sits down with Father Patrick Desbois, the esteemed founder of Yahad – in Unum, and they discuss his presentation of the 2024, Einspruch Lectures on the Holocaust and the mission of his organization in identifying Holocaust mass execution sites. The conversation centers on his acclaimed book, The Holocaust by Bullets, which earned him the National Jewish Book Award. Father Desbois shares insights into the atrocities of World War II, emphasizing the mass killings and destruction of graves. He extends the discussion to his research on ISIS, the Yazidi genocide, and the suffering of women across diverse backgrounds, providing a poignant glimpse into the darker pages of history. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ackermancenter/message

In this episode, Dr. Nils Roemer hosts an an engaging conversation with our newest faculty member, Dr. Hanno Berger, an assistant professor in film studies at the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology. Dr. Berger delves into his research on postwar German films, sharing fascinating insights into revolutions and their multifaceted impact. He offers a deep exploration of Hannah Arendt's influential book "On Revolution", which served as the foundation for his PhD thesis. Additionally, Dr. Berger sheds light on his role as one of the editors of Hannah Arendt's renowned work, "The Origin of Totalitarianism." Tune in for an enlightening discussion on film, revolutions, and the profound influence of Arendt's writings on modern discourse. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ackermancenter/message

Join us as we take a close look at the unique Bollywood film, "Bawaal." Our guest, Dr. Mehak Burza, is an expert in Holocaust studies who teaches in the Department of English at University of Delhi (New Delhi, India). Dr. Nils Roemer and Dr. Burza speak about this film and her recent article "The State of Holocaust Awareness in India is Abysmal" where she points out that many people in India do not have in-depth knowledge about the Holocaust. Together they explore how "Bawaal" impacts Indian viewers, especially young people. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ackermancenter/message

In this episode, Dr. Nils Roemer and Angie Simmons have a meaningful conversation with Dr. Martin Dean, a respected scholar and the 2023 keynote speaker at the Annual Scholar’s Conference. Dr. Dean's book, "Collaboration in the Holocaust: Crimes of the Local Police in Belorussia and Ukraine" provides us an understanding how different groups collaborated in committing crimes during the Holocaust. This work developed out of his years working alongside Scotland Yard.  Dr. Martin Dean delivered the Michael And Elaine Jaffe Lecture at the 53rd Annual Scholar’s Conference. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ackermancenter/message

In this episode of the Ackerman Center podcast, we speak with author and Annual Scholar’s Conference keynote speaker Glenn Kurtz about the adaptation of his book Three Minutes in Poland: Discovering a Lost World in a 1938 Family Film into a documentary film titled Three Minutes-A Lengthening. He discusses the path that led him to writing the book and discovering the film amongst his family’s home movies as well as the years of research that he has embarked on as a result. Glenn Kurtz delivered the 2023 Mitchell L. and Miriam Lewis Barnett Lecture at the Annual Scholar’s Conference. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ackermancenter/message

This interview with Susan Neiman—Philosopher, Author, and Director of the Einstein Forum—and Dr. Nils Roemer was recorded in April 2021. The two discuss her book "Learning from the Germans" which delivers an urgently needed perspective on how a country can come to terms with its historical wrongdoings. It has been edited to better fit a podcast format. -- In the wake of white nationalist attacks, the ongoing debate over reparations, and the controversy surrounding Confederate monuments and the contested memories they evoke, Susan Neiman’s Learning from the Germans delivers an urgently needed perspective on how a country can come to terms with its historical wrongdoings. Neiman is a white woman who came of age in the civil rights–era South and a Jewish woman who has spent much of her adult life in Berlin. Working from this unique perspective, she combines philosophical reflection, personal stories, and interviews with both Americans and Germans who are grappling with the evils of their own national histories. Through discussions with Germans, including Jan Philipp Reemtsma, who created the breakthrough Crimes of the Wehrmacht exhibit, and Friedrich Schorlemmer, the East German dissident preacher, Neiman tells the story of the long and difficult path Germans faced in their effort to atone for the crimes of the Holocaust. In the United States, she interviews James Meredith about his battle for equality in Mississippi and Bryan Stevenson about his monument to the victims of lynching, as well as lesser-known social justice activists in the South, to provide a compelling picture of the work contemporary Americans are doing to confront our violent history. In clear and gripping prose, Neiman urges us to consider the nuanced forms that evil can assume, so that we can recognize and avoid them in the future. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ackermancenter/message

Join Dr. Nils Roemer and Belofsky fellows Angie Simmons and Katie Fisher on a walking tour of a few memorials scattered around Berlin. This episode dives into the locations and historical context around 5 prominent local Holocaust memorials in Berlin with a focus on what happened after the end of WWII. Throughout the episode noise of the contemporary cityscape blends with historical references provided by Dr. Nils Roemer. Find out more about each of these memorials at the links below. The Deserted Room The Missing House Track 17 Memorial at Grunewald Railway Station The Neue Synagoge ⁠Stumbling Stones (Stolpersteine)⁠ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ackermancenter/message

Join Dr. Nils Roemer and Belofsky fellow Katie Fisher on a walking tour of three memorials in Berlin—the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, the Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism, and the Memorial to the Sinti and Roma Victims of National Socialism. This auditory experience captures the sound of the present-day cityscape with its traffic and tourist chatter and is layered with historical context and references provided by Dr. Nils Roemer. Find out more about each of these memorials at the links below. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe The Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism The Memorial to the Sinti and Roma Victims of National Socialism --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ackermancenter/message

In this episode, Dr. Emily-Rose Baker, assistant professor of film studies at UT Dallas, interviews Sabina Vajrača an award-winning film director from  Bosnia and Herzegovina who immigrated to the US as a war refugee at the age of 14. Her work deals with representations of inter-ethnic conflict particularly pertaining to the Bosnian war and genocide—as well as the Holocaust. Watch Variables here: https://vimeo.com/337351085 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ackermancenter/message

On November 9, 1938, a day that has come to be known as Kristallnacht, the Nazis orchestrated an attack against Jews, their businesses, synagogues, and their homes. This was followed by mass arrests and deportations to camps. In this episode, Dr. Roemer and Angie Simmons discuss the events that lead up to the attack, as well as the significance of this day and what would follow. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ackermancenter/message