INTERVIEW - 'An unprecedented attempt to normalize Nazi crimes': star historian Richard J. Evans on the dispute over the uniqueness of the Holocaust

Renowned historian Richard J. Evans has strongly condemned what he terms an "unprecedented attempt" to normalize Nazi crimes, with a particular focus on the Holocaust. Evans, a leading authority on 20th-century German history, voiced his concerns regarding contemporary debates that seek to relativize or equate the Holocaust with other historical atrocities.

This discussion echoes the intense 'Historikerstreit' (historians' dispute) that gripped Germany forty years ago. That debate centered on whether the unique nature of the Holocaust could be compared to other instances of mass violence. Evans's current stance reaffirms his long-held position that such comparisons risk diminishing the singular horror of the Nazi genocide.

In his latest assessment, the British bestseller author also incorporates an analysis of colonial violence. Evans critically examines how different forms of historical brutality are framed and understood, emphasizing the need for precise historical context. His intervention aims to counter revisionist narratives that seek to downplay or distort the historical record of Nazi crimes.

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An unprecedented attempt to normalize Nazi crimes.