Vergangenheitsbewältigung
A public debate within a country on a problematic period of its recent history. Most often associated with World War II and the Holocaust.
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Origin
A compound German noun from Vergangenheit ('past') and Bewältigung ('coping' or 'mastering'), emerging in West German public discourse in the late 1950s–60s as the immediate work of postwar reconstruction receded and Germans began confronting the crimes of the Nazi era and the Holocaust. The concept was revived after German reunification in 1989, this time addressing the legacy of the East German state.
Updated February 22, 2026