War, Revolution and Memory: Post-War Monuments in Post-Communist Europe

World War II caused a collective trauma in the memory of Europeans, which resulted in the erection of countless monuments all over Europe to commemorate the events and battles as well as the civilian and military victims. In the period of almost 45 years, numerous memorial sites were created in the Communist Europe. Contrary to the dominant belief that the monuments in the Eastern Bloc and Non-aligned Yugoslavia were created exclusively in the spirit of Socialist Realism and erected by order of state authorities, typologically and stylistically these monuments form a heterogeneous group, and were erected both by the state and the local communities.

Since their creation, and due to the fact that they were conceived as “intentional monuments“ (in the sense of Riegl's gewollte Denkmale), a number of governmental regulations have been adopted in order to ensure that this heritage is adequately protected and maintained.

The decline of Communism and the introduction of the market economy and multi-party system in the newly emerged countries resulted in multiple effects, both on the institutional and symbolic level. On the institutional and legislative level, it brought significant changes within the legal framework, functioning of institutions and civil services of the post-socialist countries. On the symbolic level this led to rejection of the bearers of symbolic capital of the former system.

Therefore, the perception of monuments created in the period of Real Socialism to commemorate World War II was rapidly changing, and the meaning they conveyed, as well as their memorial and aesthetic value were being questioned, challenged and/or denied. Often violent, break with the former regime resulted in their relocation, temporary or permanent removal from the public space and vandalism or destruction. Norbert Huse tried to define these phenomena by devising the category of uncomfortable architectural monuments (unbequeme Baudenkmale). Twenty-seven years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, we are still witnessing the denial, destruction and marginalization of these monuments as unacceptable, unsightly, totalitarian, etc.

The attempts to reevaluate this heritage, as well as to develop different strategies of its public presentation, differ from state to state, and the criteria and guidelines that should be used to devise a “new“ perception, followed by the management and maintenance of the denied monuments, mainly depend on the political and economic situation in different countries.

Taking into account the scope of this heritage, the efforts invested in rediscovery, protection and conservation treatment of memorials require significant funds. But before raising the question of funding, one should ask if and for whom this disputed heritage should be restored? In what ways did the change of political paradigm make these monuments undesirable in the post-socialist countries? Have processes of denial and suppression contributed to the cancellation of an inherent ideological charge of these monuments? If so, are we allowed to treat them exclusively as aesthetic objects, particularly when they are preserved in fragments? Should these monuments, as relics of a forgotten past, be seen as a part of the tourism industry? Could the damaged or destroyed artifacts be restored to their original state or should the conservation treatment also commemorate the period of denial and suppression? What is the role of heritage communities in relation to survival and revival of this heritage?

PROGRAM

Friday, 17th of February 2017

9:00-9:30 OPENING SPEECH

Moderating: Vjeran Pavlaković, Marko Špikic'

9:30-10:15
Bogusław Szmygin: Former Nazi Concentration Camps as Heritage – Problems and Challenges

10:15-10:45
Viktoriya Sukovata: The Memory About World War II in the Soviet and Post-Soviet Ukraine and the Holocaust Monuments in Kharkiv

10:45-11:15
Hannah Wilson: The Re-Conceptualisation of Sobibor Memorial Site

11:15-12:00 DISCUSSION

12:00-12:20 COFFEE BREAK

12:20-12:50
Mischa Gabowitsch: Soviet and Post-Soviet War Memorials: Complexity and Continuity

12:50-13:20
Petra Švardová: Commemoration and Representation of World War II at Soviet War Memorials

13:20-13:30 COFFEE BREAK

13:30-14:00
Oleksandra Gaidai: Building Fences or Bridges: War Memorial Sites in Contemporary Ukraine

14:00-14:30
Ekaterina Bobrova: The Analysis of Commemoration of Soviet Forced Workers and War Prisoners Who Died in German Captivity During the Second World War

14:30-14:50 DISCUSSION

14:50-16:20 LUNCH BREAK

16:20-16:50
Ina Belcheva: Problematic Memory of the Second World War: Three War Memorials in Sofia from the 1950s

16:50-17:20
Agata Rogoś: The (Un)Wanted Heritage in the Rural Landscapes of Albania

17:20-17:30 COFFEE BREAK

17:30-18:00
Oto Luthar: Memorial Landscape and Slovenian Post-Truth Historiography

18:00-18:30
Lejla Gačanica: The Partisan Necropolis: Mostar’s Symbol of Broken Memories

18:30-19:00 DISCUSSION

Saturday, 18th of February 2017

Moderating: Lana Lovrenčić, Sanja Potkonjak

9:15-9:45
Nenad Lajbenšperger: Putting Under the State Protection the Sites and Objects Related to the National Liberation War and the Revolution in Serbia (1947–2017)

9:45-10:15
Andrew Lawler: Taking Stock: the Situation of Monuments Commemorating the People’s Liberation War, Struggle and Movement on the Territory of the Former SR Bosnia & Herzegovina

10:15-10:25 COFFEE BREAK

10:25-10:55
Laura Demeter: Monuments Preservation a Matter of State Security and Regime Change in Post 1989 Romania

10:55-11:25
Darija Perković, Željka Perković: Are There Any Inappropriate Monuments in the Brod-Posavina County?

11:25-12:00 DISCUSSION

12:00-12:20 COFFEE BREAK

12:20-12:50
Helena Stublić: The Question of Difficult Heritage – and What to Do with It?

12:50-13:20
Sandra Križić Roban: Counter-Monument to a Monument

13:20-13:30
COFFEE BREAK

13:30-14:00
Linnea West: Memento Park and Skopje 2014: Transition, Monuments, and Memory

14:00-14:30
Tomislav Oroz, Nevena Škrbić Alempijević: From Representation of History to the Living Monument: Memorializing Peasant Revolt and Matija Gubec in Gornja Stubica

14:30-14:50 DISCUSSION

14:50-16:20 LUNCH BREAK

16:20-16:50
Edita Mušić, Carola S. Neugebauer: (Local) Perspectives on War Memorials in Serbia – the Case of Kadinjača

16:50-17:20
Sanja Lončar, Alma Trauber: War Heritage and War Tourism as Development Potential in Post-Conflict Regions. Realities and Obstacles in the Sisak-Moslavina County, Croatia

17:20-17:30 COFFEE BREAK

17:30-18:00
Sanja Horvatinčić: What Is to Be Done? WWII Monuments in Croatia Between the Official Disinheritance and the Heritage-from-Below Strategies

18:00-18:30
Milivoj Dretar: Reconstruction of Memorial Hospital Gabrinovec

18:30-19:00
DISCUSSION