Memory and the Impact of Political Transformation in Public Space

Abstract

Memory and the Impact of Political Transformation in Public Space explores the effects of major upheavals--wars, decolonization, and other social and economic changes--on the forms, places, and voices through which public histories are told around the world. Examining issues related to public memory in twelve countries, the histories collected here cut across political, cultural, and geographic divisions. At the same time, by revealing recurring themes and concerns, they show how basic issues of history and memory transcend specific sites and moments in time. A number of the essays look at contests over public memory following two major political transformations: the wave of liberation from colonial rule in much of Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean during the second half of the twentieth century and the reorganization of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet bloc beginning in the late 1980s. This collection expands the scope of what is considered public history by pointing to silences and absences that are as telling as museums and memorials. Contributors remind us that for every monument that is erected, others--including one celebrating Sri Lanka's independence and another honouring the Unknown Russian Soldier of World War II--remain on the drawing board. While some sites seem woefully underserved by a lack of public memorials--as does post-Pinochet Chile and post-civil war El Salvador--others run the risk of diluting meaning through overexposure, as may be happening with Israel's Masada. Essayists examine public history as it is conveyed not only in marble and stone but also through cityscapes and performances such as popular songs and parades. From Scotland to China and Nicaragua to Germany, societies are grappling with questions of how to represent history, and for many, these debates are complicated by ethnic and religious differences and divisions. Memory and the Impact of Political Transformation in Public Space broadens understandings of what public history is by looking at how and by whom it is made and contested. Contributors: James Carter; John Czaplicka; Kanishka Goonewardena; Lisa Maya Knauer; Anna Krylova; Teresa Meade; Bill Nasson; Mary Nolan; Cynthia Paces; Andrew Ross; Daniel Seltz; T. M. Scruggs; Irina Carlota Silber; Daniel J. Walkowitz; Yael Zerubavel