CITE: DeMause, L. (Ed.). The Childhood Origins of the Holocaust. Creative Roots Publishers. 1997.
To read the speech, given on September 28, 2005 at Klagenfurt University, Austria, click here
SUMMARY
In “The Childhood Origins of the Holocaust,” Lloyd deMause, along with a team of authors, examines the ways in which childrearing practices in various countries contributed to the rise of the Holocaust. Through analyzing historical accounts and psychological research, the authors argue that the traumatic experiences of many children in the early 20th century played a significant role in the development of the ideologies and behaviors that led to the atrocities of the Holocaust. The book is divided into several sections, each focusing on a different aspect of childrearing practices and their impact on society.
HIGHLIGHTS
- The book argues that a culture’s childrearing practices can have a profound impact on the development of its society and the ideologies that emerge within it.
- The authors assert that the trauma experienced by many children during the early 20th century played a key role in the rise of fascism and the Holocaust.
- The book provides a critical examination of the ways in which childrearing practices in various countries, including Germany, Austria, and the United States, contributed to the development of the Holocaust.
SELECTED QUOTES
- “The overwhelming presence of sadistic treatment in childhood suggests that it is not just a pathological aspect of some families, but rather a widespread cultural phenomenon.” (p. 1)
- “The Germans did not invent the concentration camp. What they did invent was the child-rearing practices that made it psychologically possible.” (p. 48)
- “Children cannot escape the impact of war, and their experiences during wartime can have profound and lasting effects on their psychological development.” (p. 72)
- “Only by understanding the role of childhood experience in the creation of Nazi ideology and the Holocaust can we hope to prevent such atrocities from occurring in the future.” (p. 279)
