Outgoing IKEA Foundation Research Fellow Dr Kathrin Bachleitner recently contributed an article to non-profit multimedia publication Lawfare, entitled: When Forgiveness Is Impossible: How Atonement Works as Policy. In her article, Kathrin explores the 1952 Luxembourg Agreement between West Germany and Israel as a model for reconciliation through acknowledgement and reparations.
Kathrin's research is focused on collective identity, memory, and values within International Relations. She looks in particular at how legacies of war and their contemporary interpretations shape political communities, normative perceptions, and choice in international matters. One of her core interests is exploring the way historical narratives form foreign policies as well as national and international responses to refugees.