Holocaust Monuments and National Memory (Paperback)

Peter Carrier

ISBN 10: 184545295X / ISBN 13: 9781845452957

Published by Berghahn Books, Oxford, 2006

About this Item

Paperback. Since 1989, two sites of memory with respect to the deportation and persecution of Jews in France and Germany during the Second World War have received intense public attention: the Velo d'Hiver (Winter Velodrome) in Paris and the Monument for the Murdered Jews of Europe or Holocaust Monument in Berlin. Why is this so? Both monuments, the author argues, are unique in the history of memorial projects. Although they are genuine "sites of memory", neither monument celebrates history, but rather serve as platforms for the deliberation, negotiation and promotion of social consensus over the memorial status of war crimes in France and Germany. The debates over these monuments indicate that it is the communication among members of the public via the mass media, rather than qualities inherent in the sites themselves, which transformed these sites into symbols beyond traditional conceptions of heritage and patriotism. Since 1989, two sites of memory with respect to the deportation and persecution of Jews in France and Germany during WWII have received intense public attention: the Vel d'Hiv (Winter Velodrome) in Paris and the Monument for the Murdered Jews of Europe or 'Holocaust Monument' in Berlin. This book looks at the origin and functions of these sites. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781845452957

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Holocaust Monuments and National Memory (Paperback)
• Publisher: Berghahn Books, Oxford
• Publication Date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 184545295X
• ISBN 13: 9781845452957
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

Since 1989, two sites of memory with respect to the deportation and persecution of Jews in France and Germany during the Second World War have received intense public attention: the Vélo d'Hiver (Winter Velodrome) in Paris and the Monument for the Murdered Jews of Europe or Holocaust Monument in Berlin. Why is this so? Both monuments, the author argues, are unique in the history of memorial projects. Although they are genuine "sites of memory", neither monument celebrates history, but rather serve as platforms for the deliberation, negotiation and promotion of social consensus over the memorial status of war crimes in France and Germany. The debates over these monuments indicate that it is the communication among members of the public via the mass media, rather than qualities inherent in the sites themselves, which transformed these sites into symbols beyond traditional conceptions of heritage and patriotism.

About the Author

Peter Carrier is Visiting Fellow at the International Study Centre of Queens University at Herstmonceux, UK. He has taught at the universities of Tübingen, Paris VII, Berlin, and at the Central European University in Budapest, and was DAAD Research Fellow at the Maison des Sciences de l¹Homme in Paris. He has published widely on the impact of contemporary arts on collective memory and historical identities.