ABSTRACT
As a result of the German occupation of the Channel Islands from 1940 to 1945, many places contain potential residues of ‘darkness’: the sites of forced and slave labour camps, the prisons, the places of deportation and the bunkers. But how does the local population cope with such a great and undeniable ‘darkness’ within their small islands? This chapter addresses the question of where the darkness originates. It argues that the darkness of this legacy is not fixed; neither does it emanate from the sites themselves, even for people who know and understand the meaning and history of such places. Rather, it suggests that it is in the eye of the beholder, perceived differently by locals and visitors, and is indeed culturally determined and understood.
