Transitional Justice and Support for Policies of Remembrance after Mass Violence

Prior research suggests that punitive transitional justice (TJ) may foster a sense of collective exoneration among perpetrator groups, potentially reducing support for remembrance of in-group atrocities in the long term. We test this potential “hidden cost’’ of TJ in Germany using a vignette experiment manipulating perceptions of the extent of denazification and an observational analysis exploiting variation in denazification intensity across occupation zones. We find that while perceptions of comprehensive Nazi accountability foster beliefs that the German in-group was fully held responsible, these perceptions do not affect support for commemoration or responsibility toward victims. These results contribute to the broader literature on TJ’s long-term attitudinal impacts and the determinants of support for historical remembrance, emphasizing the enduring importance of moral over legal perceptions of accountability.