European dream. Reinvention of the nation. Assman A.

The legacy of the main disasters of the 20th century makes European countries again and again revise their attitude to history, in the process of such revisions the fate of not only the past, but also the future is decided. The main question that is facing us is like this: “Is there an alternative to national pride, based on the minted images of the enemy and forgetting about the victims of their own history?”

In two books united in this edition under the same cover, the German historian and cultural memory specialist Aleid Assman also asks this question. Against the backdrop of a shift towards nationalism that happened in recent years in many European states, the famous researcher analyzes the post -war experience and the critical theories comprehending him. The author suggests not agreeing with the utopians who dream of a global cosmopolitan society, or with warlike populists who are appealing to the pride and strength of the nation, but to connect their hopes with a memorial culture, the task of which is to re -illegal nations, to form a conscience and make them responsible for safe Future of Europe.