Historical Context
The poster titled “Whose Guilt?” (“Wessen Schuld?”), was created in May 1945 by the Allied occupation authorities in Germany. It featured photographs of concentration camps and the atrocities committed there, accompanied by the question “Who is guilty?” The intent of the poster was to confront the German population with the horrors of the Holocaust and other war crimes committed by the Nazi regime, and to prompt reflection on their own culpability or complicity.
These posters were part of a broader effort by the Allies to de-Nazify Germany, educate its citizens about the true nature of the Nazi regime, and encourage them to take responsibility for the crimes committed during World War II. The display of such stark and powerful imagery aimed to ensure that the German public could not deny the extent of the atrocities and to foster a sense of accountability and collective guilt.
This effort was a key component of the post-war reeducation program, which sought to dismantle the pervasive Nazi ideology and lay the groundwork for a more democratic and humane society in post-war Germany.