Experience and Memory: Generation building in German post-war and post-dictatorial transitions

German history in the 20^th Century seems to be a succession of political generations, generated by the experience of war and political upheaval. The first “war youth generation” was saddled with defeat, the second with disillusionment, the 45ers compete with the 68ers over their respective roles in democratizing West Germany, while the 89ers in the GDR seem to have missed their chance to achieve full generational status.  When analysing these different forms of generation building it seems, however, that shared experience only serves as a trigger for hegemonic struggles over memory cultures, and generation-talk as a peculiarly German way to settle biographical accounts.