I conducted seventy-five semistructured interviews with German politicians in which I asked the following five questions (in addition to many others):

1. How do you understand the term “mastering the past” (Vergangenheitsbewältigung)?

2. What is the proper designation for May 8, 1945?

3. Was the Holocaust singular or comparable to other atrocities?

4. Did you support or oppose the Wehrmachtsausstellung?

5. How do you understand the term “normality” (Normalität)?

I then coded each answer on a scale, from −2 to +2 using the following procedure:

Question 1

Respondents received a score of −2 if they offered a highly defensive answer, such as “You Americans should master your past first” or “I can't hear that word anymore.” Respondents received a score of −1 if they offered a mildly defensive reaction to the term, such as “Mastering the past is fine as long as other parties do not use it for gain, as they are doing now” or “We must not create guilt among the younger generation.” A score of 0 was given to neutral answers, examples of which include “examining the past” or “making sure that things don't happen again.” Respondents received a score of +1 if they indicated that mastering the past was very important. Those who found the term “mastering the past” problematic because it implied forgetting, drawing a line under the past, or closing something received a score of +2.