ABSTRACT
Hitler has been a controversial figure in German history. Although he was regarded as a war criminal, his figure has attracted the attention of some people. This was mainly triggered by the various myths surrounding him and his mysterious death. These myths have led to a fraud publication in the magazine “Stern” about Hitler’s diaries. A myth about Hitler can even be found in Indonesia in a book by Soeryo Goeritno (2010), which fabricated a story claiming that Hitler died in Indonesia (sic!). The young generation in Germany has a unique way of coming to terms with the past by demystifying Hitler in comic books such as Wolfgang Moers’ Adolf der Bonker and Äch, bin wieder da! These two comic books use humor to show how Hitler would be perceived by the youth if he were still alive today. The theme of the Holocaust as a collective memory is represented in Maus, a survivor tale, by Art Spiegelman. Maus has been accepted as the first comic book to be considered “serious” and to be analyzed in the academic world. Demystifying Hitler is a process of coming to terms with the past.
