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I think of these things frequently, because I know the German people. Among them might arise the legend of Hitler, because Hitler was not heard from in this trial. Time always has some reconciling effect. On every ruin there eventually grows grass, and then some shrubbery, and finally, before you realize it, what is really an old hideous ruin becomes a romantic sight and legend.

Hans Frank#16

HistoryLegendMemoryReconciliationTime

About this quote

What does it mean?
Frank predicts that time will soften the memory of Hitler, turning ruins into romantic legends as the German people reconcile.
In plain terms
Time makes horrible events seem less bad and more like stories.
What can you take from it?
History can be rewritten by time to soften harsh realities.

Where it applies

  • post war reflection
  • historical preservation
  • public memory

Putting it to work

  • guard against historical amnesia
  • preserve accurate records

Questions to consider

  • How does time change memory?
  • Should we romanticize the past?

Another view

Some events are too horrific to be romanticized without distorting truth.

More from Hans Frank

  1. Even in art, there is no light without shadows, and no shadows are cast without some light. Even the shadow of Adolf Hitler is accompanied by some light.

    Permalink to quote #15
  2. I think that Hitler was abnormal in his sexual needs. That is, he needed too little from the opposite sex. He considered women as objects of beauty, and he oft…

    Permalink to quote #17
  3. You can't indict a government and its organizations as criminal. The conception of the Reich government is a hundred years old. The general staff is several hu…

    Permalink to quote #14

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