This book investigates the historical evolution and expansion of the concept of victimhood as a primary category for understanding injustice in the modern era. Svenja Goltermann, a historian specializing in the history of knowledge, utilizes a genealogical approach to examine how the classification of individuals as victims has shifted from specific legal or wartime contexts to a broad, pervasive shorthand for social and political grievances. The work argues that the proliferation of this terminology reflects deeper changes in how societies conceptualize trauma, compensation, and human rights since the mid-20th century.

Scholars in the fields of history and sociology recognize this work as a rigorous examination of the linguistic and conceptual shifts surrounding modern trauma. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is best suited for those interested in the intellectual history of social and political discourse.