The dynamics of collective guilt three generations after the Holocaust

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In his seminal article „Guilt and Defense,“ Adorno (1955) linked antisemitic sentiments in his study to a paradox projection, suggesting that latent feelings of guilt led respondents to employ antisemitic defense mechanisms like rationalization and displacement. This idea, that antisemitism is expressed not despite but because of Auschwitz, has significantly influenced contemporary discussions on post-Holocaust antisemitism in Germany. The research presented here systematically and quantitatively tests three key assumptions of Adorno's theory. It investigates whether the demand for historical closure on the Nazi past diminishes feelings of group-based guilt, whether expressing such guilt correlates with prosocial attitudes and reduced prejudice, and whether portraying surviving Jews as continuing to suffer from past victimization exacerbates antisemitism against them, along with any boundary conditions to this effect. The study integrates fundamental assumptions from the humanities regarding antisemitism with psychological theories, bridging often disconnected disciplines. Results indicate that some of Adorno's assumptions remain relevant and empirically supported over 50 years later, while others require revision.