A guilt for which the world continues to deny any share of the blame - A Review of Henri's War

I just finished reading Henri's war in one night. Growing up in Germany shortly after the IInd WW, I belong to the first generation after National Socialism. Family members had been soldiers in the Wehrmacht and had fought in the Ist and IInd WW. Of course, during the time I was growing up it was not fashionable to mention or discuss any kind of attachment of family members to the Wehrmacht. Most Germans seemed simply to eliminate the years 1933 until 45 from their conscience. Questions asked mostly were answered in a very vague way. History books, as we all know, were written by the victorious and censored by the allies, of course. My generation was confronted with being branded as belonging to an evil people, the Germans. In literature about National Socialism, words like 'German beasts', 'inhumane', 'German monsters', 'Nazis' were often used as a general term for simple Germans. We had to live with pain and shame about what our fathers and grandfathers had done or were responsible for, even if we were lucky enough to have been born long after WWII. I have read many books about the Holocaust; some of those books sticked with me all through my life and I still feel pain and disgust about what human beings are capable of doing to their fellow man. But now, at the age of 63, I have also read about Korea, Vietnam, Guatanamo Bay; I have read about the great German refugee waves after WWII from the East. And, last but not least, I have read many books about the Prisoner of War camps in which German captured soldiers have been treated in ways which were in no conformance with the Geneva Convention. In the Rheinwiesen for instance. Or in a POW camp in Bavaria where German prisoners had been used by the allies for medical experiments. Or, POWs in Siberia. Not much documented about all this, at least not in comparison with literature about the Holocaust. The internet has long since opened unknown worlds for us. More often, we are able to compare stories, to research, with a click of the mouse. Henri's war is the account of a survivor of Buchenwald. An easy to read book, interesting and educational, touching. But, for me, one of many. We have to read books to learn, to not forget and to take responsibility for the future. But, books like Henri's war are not contemporary. The world has changed. I would even dare to say: for the better. Of course, wars are still being fought, even based on lies. Racism still exists, sadly not only in Germany but all over the world. religious persecution, hatred. Oppression and exploitation still do exist. Books like Henri's war have not changed anything, only have made some readers stop and reflect. My grandchildren are the 4th generation after WWII in Germany. Their mothers are from different nations. If some day they will read a book like Henri's war, will they understand? Or, will they be unwilling to continue to share a guilt for which the world they are living in continues to deny any share of the blame?