Mapping the 'Forensic Turn'

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In recent decades, forensic investigation has become essential in addressing mass graves resulting from genocides and political violence. From Argentina to Rwanda and former Yugoslavia to Poland, the search for burial sites, application of archaeological and forensic practices, and use of advanced technologies have transformed landscapes of violence into crime scenes. However, truth-finding is not the sole motivation for these investigations; politics, justice, memory, mourning, and the future of post-conflict societies also play significant roles, influenced by the relationships between the deceased and the living. The phenomenon known as the ‘forensic turn’ reveals a complex interplay of scientific protocols, political interests, ethical sensitivities, and the realities of mass death, leading to a variety of practices, discourses, and images. This book explores how the forensic turn, as a standardized practice for identifying bodies, a shift in remembrance, and a growing cultural sensitivity, extends beyond forensic science sites and influences social and human sciences, political activism, popular imagination, and art. Emerging from discussions at the Forensic Turn in Holocaust Studies workshop at the Vienna Wiesenthal Institute in June 2015, it compiles contributions that examine the theoretical, methodological, political, and practical implications of the forensic turn both within and beyond Holocaust studies.