Both Germany and Italy take an intense interest in each other's history between the seizure of power (1922 in Italy, 1933 in Germany) and the end of the Second World War. From a comparative viewpoint there has however been relative neglect of the question of how academe, the state, and society have attempted to come to terms with the heritage of dictatorship and war after 1945. The historiographic dialogue in November 2003 provided an opportunity of pinpointing and discussing the parallels and contrasts in academic, political, and social confrontation with the history of dictatorship and the effects of the Second World War.