Lecturer in German, Dr Tobias Heinrich, was recently interviewed about the terror attacks that took place in Vienna in early November, on German radio station, Bayern 2, Kulturwelt. Tobias discussed the event in light of his research on narratives of revenge.
Tobias states, ‘The notion of revenge is often invoked to explain terror attacks, both in terms of society’s reaction to the events, but also as a possible motive for the actions themselves. It is important to notice that there is always something that precedes the act of revenge: a primal transgression, an injury, as it were, that has, whether justified or not, provoked the action. While we are often quick to perceive the attacker as society’s radical other, we also need to recognise what we have in common, namely our vulnerability, both as individuals as well as a society. If there is any hope for reconciliation, this recognition of our shared vulnerabilities might hold the key.’
The recording is available online, along with the transcript; the interview with Tobias Heinrich starts at 15.30.