On the Use of 'Collective Memory'

Abstract

This article reviews a number of significant new publications which address the relationship between memory and history in twentieth-century Germany. These publications analyse the representation of the past in a range of cultural forms such as literature, memorials, the media, film, and travel guides. Each of the works discussed questions the value of the term ‘collective memory’, and can be viewed as evidence that the historiography of memory has recognized the limitations of ‘collective memory’ as a heuristic tool. Yet, as this review article argues, while the authors seek to deploy more differentiated terms, these do not necessarily convince as alternatives. Besides, the authors continue to refer to ‘collective memory’.