Description
Central, Eastern and South Eastern European societies are often characterised vis-à-vis their past; referred to as post-war, post-socialist, post-conflict, post-authoritarian, among other denominations. As such, and to paraphrase William Faulkner, the past and memory are never dead across the region. In this context, it is important to examine the role of silence, denial, and contestation in memory politics. Specifically, how have silence, denial and contestations manifested? How have actors including communities and organisations, victims of past repression, former soldiers, and other grassroots actors, actively shaped and influenced memory politics? How are memories contested by local actors and communities? How, when and why are local, community and collective memories in tension? And what are the politics of this contestation? Further, to what extent have these strategies led to emancipatory ways of reimagining the past for the present? The panel will explore these over-arching questions in the case of ‘post-’societies in Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe which are defined in contrast to their previous oppressive and/or violent past.
