Art Spiegelman’s “Maus” is a creative and sensitive retelling of one man’s experiences during the Holocaust. As a graphic novel, “Maus” uses comic strips and drawings to help tell its story. The drawing on its cover, however, has been met with controversy in some parts of the world. Featuring a prominent swastika at its center, the cover art has faced objections in places like Russia and Germany. Listen to hear more about how well-intentioned rules around censorship can lead to unintended consequences.
Story Length: 3:54
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AIR DATE: 04/28/2015
A rising tide of anti-Jewish sentiment has the German government chastising Germans for their prejudice. Anti-Semitism is a particularly volatile topic in Germany because of the Nazi-led Holocaust during World War II. Some blame the rising anti-Semitism in Europe on the conflict in Israel. Others believe it’s because of an influx of Muslim immigrants. This public radio story takes you to a protest against the attacks on Jews in Germany and explores how the present-day incidents refer to a dark past.
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There are few Holocaust survivors still living today. In this public radio story we hear from one woman who escaped a Nazi death camp. She tells the story about being led out of the camp with many other women to an open field to be killed. Thankfully, she escaped, but has lived for over 70 years with survivor’s guilt.
Note: This story contains disturbing details about a Nazi concentration camp.
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The Communist Revolution in the Soviet Union led to a totalitarian dictatorship that killed or imprisoned tens of millions of people. It was a period of cruelty that’s not forgotten in Russia today. However, some former Communist rulers are in current day Russia’s government. This means there’s a complicated relationship with the Soviet past because some rulers want to bring back some Soviet-era practices. Listen to this story to understand how Russia’s Communist past still plays a role in present-day politics.
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