Cultural memory in Europe: commemoration, memory making, and identity in the 21st century

The participation of university students in European democratic life is essential to strengthening the European project. This initiative aimed to promote an inclusive and democratic European identity in higher education. A European identity fostering a sense of belonging is needed, yet recent shifts in commemorative practices challenge this unity. Historiography describes this transformation as “post-heroic,” where recognition shifts from heroic deeds to victims of conflicts and wars, representing a "shift from heroization to victimization" (Sabrow, 2011). This change has significant consequences. Such narratives are exclusive and contribute to a “concurrence of victimhood” (Chaumont, 1997), emerging across Europe as a counter-narrative to its symbolic unity. The project aimed to enhance young citizens’ understanding of the European Union and foster belonging by increasing awareness of memory-making practices. By bringing together university students from across Europe, it encouraged discussions on European identity beyond victimhood discourses. This approach nurtured debate among students on modern European self-perception, paving the way for a more inclusive and united identity.

Through our project, and in particular our participative online and summer courses, we wanted university students to recognize that Europe had a tangible impact on their lives; the way they understood it would inevitably shape European values in the future. We wanted to make sure that the uncertainty of the past decade, as well as the crisis we were experiencing at the time, would not negatively impact their belief in the common European project. One way to address this was cross-cultural discussions with other European university students. We aimed to increase their potential for democratic participation and engagement and foster their interest in Europe and EU history. University students in the European Union had some opportunities to engage with other European university students and to reflect on the nature of their relationships with the European Union, but through CLEO, the ability to feel part of a common society with shared experiences was enhanced. We sought to encourage more cross-cultural exchange between university students of different European countries and to promote cooperation, peer learning, and the exchange of experiences. We provided university students with opportunities to be committed European citizens.

The promotion of intercultural and civic values and competences was one of the main results of the project, alongside greater knowledge about Europe and more engagement among European university students. We aimed to support innovation and creativity through novel and creative learning practices, and increase university students’ interest, of non-formal learning methods such as discussions, cross-cultural exchange and participation. Through innovative and creative learning, we did not only increase knowledge and skills in the short-term, but impacted the ways university students think about Europe over time. In order to achieve these aims, we have: 1. compiled a repository of resources to document the change in historical culture, memory-making and commemorative practices in Europe. 2. produced a handbook for higher education students. 3. organized a summer university; bringing together university students and professors from European countries that encouraged transnational discussion. 4. organized a European online course for university students from different countries to reflect on this change. 5. publishing a special issue of the journal "East Central Europe", with the results of our work: Volume: 51 (2024); Issue 2-3: Heroes and Victims: Comparative Perspectives on Europe’s Multilayered Memory Cultures, edited by Constantin Iordachi. https://brill.com/view/journals/eceu/51/2-3/eceu.51.issue-2-3.xml