The Face and Backdrop of a Heritage: A Contribution to the Debate on the Concept of Difficult Heritage

Abstract

This paper provides insight into the issues of concepts of heritage and difficult heritage. A deeper exploration of the sources and use of these concepts is for the purpose of illuminating the positions that occupy their use and the repercussion arising therefrom. The difficult heritage is a concept which is mostly used to mark heritage phenomena that are in conflict with official narratives and cultural policies. The paper presents three examples of difficult heritage – from Berlin, Zagreb and Busan – which will serve as a basis for analyzing this concepts. The paper will show the justification for the use of the distinctive concept of difficult heritage and what its strengths and weaknesses are when used within scientific discourse.