The Transformation of Memorial Landscapes in Europe since the Fall of Communism

Contributions are currently being sought for a planned edited volume IN ENGLISH on changes in the memorial landscape of eastern Europe since the collapse of communism (edited by Bill Niven and Stuart Burch)

Themes of the volume include:
- A greater decentralisation (democratisation or regionalisation) of memorial culture (in terms of processes of decision-making, aesthetic forms, and choice of theme);
- A greater pluralisation of memorial discourses (as a result of the above);
- A move towards the nationalisation of memorial culture (for instance through a focus on national victimhood, national resistance or national heroism);
- A greater focus on Holocaust commemoration, i.e. are eastern European nations now participating in the ‘universalisation of Holocaust memory’;
- The deconstruction of Soviet-style memory of the ‘Great Patriotic War’ (resignification of existing Soviet memorials, removal and destruction of these, moving them to different sites, placing them in theme parks, etc.)

Please note: the editors already have proposals for contributions on Poland, the Ukraine, Finland, the Baltic States, Russia and Hungary. So, while we will still consider proposals on the abovementioned countries, we are particularly interested in proposals for chapters on other eastern European countries such as Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania and Bulgaria, and the Russian Federation.

Please send a proposal of no more than 250 words to Bill Niven at the following email address: william.nivenntu.ac.uk by 20th February 2007 at the very latest. Bill Niven will also be happy to answer any queries you might have.