This article explores the role of memory within different histories of National Socialism and the Holocaust, examining key moments in which memory has been used to shape the historical, political and moral dimensions of the Holocaust in the post-war era. It argues that the incorporation of individual memories into historical narratives encourages an empathetic identification on the part of the writers and readers of history with specific individual and historical perspectives, a process of engagement that can also influence readers' perceptions of their personal and national identity. Drawing on psychological, psychoanalytic and philosophical thought, the article's examination of a variety of historical narratives shows how the dynamic of empathetic identification has been used both to bring about and to obscure an understanding of the diverse Jewish experience of the Holocaust. The implications of an empathetic identification with German memory and experience forms a complementary area of consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]