French Literature Reviews - 2026
Yannick Malgouzou, Les Camps nazis
History, Politics and Society
This volume explores the profound shock caused by the discovery of the Nazi concentration camps and the genocide of the Jews. To trace its historical and memorial evolution within the French cultural sphere from 1945 to the present day, it brings literary practices into dialogue with photographic and cinematic representations.
The representation of the Holocaust in French culture has evolved significantly since the end of the Second World War. Early postwar accounts often struggled to integrate the magnitude of the genocide into existing national narratives, leading to a gradual shift in how these events were documented and remembered. This volume explores the shock caused by the discovery of the Nazi concentration camps and the genocide of the Jews, tracing its historical and memorial evolution within the French cultural sphere from 1945 to the present day.
The study of how historical trauma is mediated through different artistic channels remains a central concern for scholars of contemporary French culture. The field of memory studies investigates how societies construct, transmit, and transform their understanding of traumatic historical events through diverse artistic and documentary forms over several decades. Readers interested in the history of Holocaust representation and the development of French memorial practices may find this volume relevant to their research.