German writer frank tis published an article in the muchner seitung entitled simply, de inner emigration. According to tis, there were scores of good german writers who remained in germany to practise a craft of quiet but profound resistance. Unlike the bad germans who elaborated or conformed, these inner immigrants created a space for german literature and culture that hitler was unable to conquer. His answer to molo's invitation to return to germany is a simple, thanks, but no thanks. And as for the great literature of inner emigration in my eyes they should all be pulped. There is a smell of blood and shame on them.
As the Nazi nightmare came to an end Thomas Mann thought long and hard about collective guilt. Can Mann’s idea help America in 2021, or do we need a new theory of collective shame.