From Past to Present : The Role of Communication and Historical Narrative in Transgenerational Transmission of Historical Trauma in Kurdish Alevi Diaspora in Germany

If the possibility of adequate psychological healing of historical traumas is not given, individuals affected can pass down its effects from one generation to another resulting in transgenerational trauma. While numerous studies focus on transgenerational trauma in Holocaust and indigenous survivors, few have explored the survivors of the 1938 Dersim Massacre. This study builds on preliminary research to better understand transgenerational trauma processes, aiming to prevent trauma transmission to future generations.

This will be investigated by focusing on two research questions, once how and what was communicated about the events of the Dersim massacre between 1937-38 and its role in well-being of second and third generation Dersim Diaspora and, secondly, what role do contemporary reminders play in perpetuating the conflict and trauma present in the second and third generations. For this, individual interviews were conducted with (grand)children of individuals that have lived through of the massacre, living in Germany. The interviews were transcribed and analysed through thematic analysis, using MAXQDA. The findings emphasise the complex interplay of communication channels in sustaining the trauma narrative, the ongoing exploration of historical context and the socio-psychological role of ongoing conflict.

This research contributes to theory by integrating historical trauma and sociopsychological conflict theories and to the few studies that deal with the consequences of mass killings, ethnic persecution, and long-lasting conflict, specifically related to the Kurdish community.