Mapping Memories of Post-1989 Europe
29.11-03.12.15
conference
29.11 until 01.12.2015
workshop
01.12. until 03.12.2015
Schloss Schönbrunn/Schönbrunn Palace
Schönbrunner Schloßstraße 47
1130 Vienna, Austria
The Ukraine crisis has revealed that national outlooks on recent European history differ significantly among countries. Historical narratives play an important role in the context of current political tensions between Russia and its neighboring countries. These developments are equally relevant to Europe as a whole. Arguably, transnational remembrance and a common “European narrative” can only emerge on the basis of solidified national cultures of remembrance that are enshrined in a given country’s historical consciousness.
An international conference and a subsequent workshop seek to locate post-communist cultures of remembrance and investigate their place in the production and the reception of historical narratives of Europe. What is the potential of post-communist cultures of remembrance for resolving current tensions and conflicts, and how can they be condensed into historical images and interpretive models? What is their use for political education and transnational mediation work? Which models, projects, and approaches already exist in these fields, and which new approaches to transnational engagement are desirable?
Along with an evaluation of dominant historical narratives, the conference and workshop will examine country-specific works and concepts as well as current projects devoted to cultures of remembrance in the post-communist region, particularly as they target younger generations. We will seek to identify issues and realms of historical-political education work on the transnational level, with the goal of feeding them into a pan-European discourse. In a practical sense, we also seek to establish a support network connecting historical-political agents from Lisbon to Moscow.
