Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Philospher Theodor Adorno is often misquoted as saying there could be no art after the Holocaust. When what he actually said was: "After Auschwitz to write a poem is barbaric".

So what are we to make of the spate of Holocaust movies currently coming out of Hollywood?

This week in Ideas we take a look at the place of the Holocaust in popular culture, examine how the 20th Century's most horrific crime is used as a political weapon, and hear about efforts by fringe groups in New Zealand to deny it ever took place.

Professor Omer Bartov, an internationally recognised Holocaust historian, shares some of his misgivings about those Hollywood films and reflects on the uses and misuses of the Holocaust in political debate.

And Auckland sociologist Scott Hamilton talks about those who would try to deny the Holocaust ever took place.

Links:

Scott Hamilton's blog: readingthemaps.blogspot.com