Divided Memories: The Image of the First World War in the Historical Memory of Slovaks Cover Image

Divided Memories: The Image of the First World War in the Historical Memory of Slovaks
Divided Memories: The Image of the First World War in the Historical Memory of Slovaks

Author(s): Gabriela Kiliánová
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences
Published by: Sociologický ústav - Slovenská akadémia vied
Keywords: First World War; historical memory; oral tradition narratives; social memory; The Content Analysis of the Memories of the First World War (WW I); The Narratives about the End of the First World War;

Summary/Abstract: Divided Memories: The Image of the First World War in the Historical Memory of Slovaks. The paper analyses the theme of the „First World War“ in the collections of oral tradition narratives recorded since the beginning of the 1960 in the framework of collective or individual ethnographic field research throughout Slovakia. The collected data are approached from two perspectives: 1. Memories of contemporary witnesses are seen as part of popular memory on WWI in the Slovak society in the 20th century. 2. Memories on WWI are analysed as special texts reflecting historical experiences of “ordinary men and women“ in the war times 1914-1918. The focus is on how the changes in wartime every day life were perceived by soldiers and those who remained at home and how they were interpreted in the context of the known historical facts. The research addresses the concept of historical memory as a part of social memory. The analysis examines the similarities and/or differences in the memory cultures among Slovak population. Results suggest the existence of multiple layers of historical memories that would give different image of the First World War in Slovakia. Narratives are also analysed as special information sources on the dramatic and tragic years 1914-1918. Findings bring additional evidence on how the global catastrophe was perceived by the Slovak population, how it affected people and changed dramatically their lives. Sociológia 2003 Vol. 35 (No. 3: 229-246)

  • Issue Year: 2003
  • Issue No: 3
  • Page Range: 229-246
  • Page Count: 18
  • Language: English