Resistance

GERMAR RUDOLF, RESISTANCE IS OBLIGATORY41, 111 ff.) or about the application of National Socialist laws duringfederal German trials (Vorlesungen, pages 90 ff.).However, it should also not be concealed that Rudolf attacks several“established” historians and writers in his works. In this context it issomewhat unfortunate that contemporary witnesses like Eugen Kogonor historians like Wolfgang Benz are called “Holocaustists,” 293 a termperhaps only introduced as a substitute for Holocaust proponent, butwhich nonetheless has a pejorative overtone. Derogative or ironic qualificationcan also be found, if this group of persons has violated laws oflogic or of the natural sciences in their allegations and writings. 5 Theseoccasional polemics, however, are nothing other than replies to the considerablymore aggressive attacks aimed at Rudolf and his co-authorsby German and foreign historians and writers. Apart from that, polemicsin publicly staged historical controversies are not unscientific by themselves,6 as long as they do not transgress certain limits of verbal abuse.Rudolf’s Vorlesungen exhibit a stylistic peculiarity: they are writtenin dialog style from beginning to end. This may initially disconcert thereader, but this isn’t unusual in the field of science. 7 Rudolf himself justifieshis approach in the introduction (p. 13) with the fact that theseVorlesungen are based on real lectures and that this moreover has theadvantage that objections can be stated immediately which are almostalways raised in reaction to certain factual claims or conclusions. Sucha procedure also offers the opportunity to critically assess time andagain one’s own judgment by means of interjected arguments of theopposite side.According to my opinion, Germar Rudolf’s publications Grundlagenzur Zeitgeschichte and Vorlesungen über den Holocaust do not violateany postulates, methods, or foundations of the historical sciences. Occasionalobjections against certain text passages do not call this overallassessment in question, since almost every scientific work in the field ofthe social sciences exhibits weaknesses, deficiencies or desiderata,which will bring critics to the scene – this even more so for an issuewhich can be described as today’s most intensely politically, ideologicallyand legally charged topic.Bochum, 9 January 2007, Dr. Olaf Rose293 Correct: “Holocauster,“ p. 109, 245, 248, 257, 269, 274, 347, 468, 493 of Lectures; p. 491 ofDissecting; p. 254, 257, 442, 479, 499 of Vorlesungen. The term has nowhere been used in thecontext of Kogon or Benz, but always only in general.261