공공역사(public history)에서 나타나는 기억의 변화: 제1차 세계대전의 ‘배후중상설(Dolchstoßlegende)’에 대한 독일민족국민당(DNVP)의 기억을 중심으로

초록

This study examines the formation and political use of the Dolchstoßlegende (stab-in-the-back myth) in post–World War I Germany, focusing on its role in the public history of the Weimar Republic (1919–1933). The myth reframed Germany’s military defeat as the result of betrayal by alleged “internal enemies”—Socialists, Communists, Jews, and pro-Republic politicians—rather than military failure. Drawing on public history and Rüdiger Lutz’s concept of “historical culture,” this research analyzes visual media (caricatures, DNVP election posters, Stahlhelm memorials), public rituals, and political discourse (speeches, pamphlets, press reports) through semiotic and discourse analysis. The findings show how conservative and right-wing forces, especially the German National People’s Party (DNVP), deliberately amplified the myth to mobilize voters during the Reichstag elections of 1920 and 1924. During the crises of 1923, the myth evolved into a binary narrative linking “Jews and Bolshevism” to national decline. Monuments and commemorations further anchored the myth in collective memory. As a tool of memory politics, the Dolchstoßlegende demonstrates how historical narratives are reconstructed to serve political ends. The study highlights how integrating public history with traditional historiography enables critical reflection on the manipulation of collective memory.

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