Twenty
years after the end of
communism, the history of Central and Eastern Europe still sparks intense
discussions in the former Soviet bloc, as contested memories, primarily about
communist repression and WWII, are relived. This volume goes beyond the
state-centred approach that so often characterises the study of memory-issues
in post-communist countries and highlights two interrelated factors that
account for the recent proliferation of memory games in Central and Eastern
Europe including, but not limited to, the growth in number of political and
social actors who try to elaborate and impose new memory norms into society and
the 'internationalization' of conflicted memories. In contrast to a narrow
understanding of 'transitional justice', this collection of fourteen case
studies situates conflicts around painful histories within the 'ordinary'
operating of post-communist societies, concentrating on games played by
political and administrative elites, activists and professional groups in
various local, national and European venues.
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