Latvia’s post-heroic identity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22364/adz.60.07Keywords:
Latvia, post-heroic, victimhood, identityAbstract
In recent years, commemorative practices in Europe have changed and historiography uses the term “post-heroic” to describe this transformation in memory-making. Post-heroism signifies the change to public recognition no longer being attributed to heroic deeds, but to the victims of conflicts and wars. These recent transformations in European commemorative practices are a challenge to the idea of a united European identity, since an identity based on a narrative of victimhood creates an exclusive identity for the group which has suffered and does not allow the ideal of a united European identity to thrive. The construction of Latvia’s collective memory after the country regained independence in the year 1990 serves as a good example to describe post-heroic identity; with this example one can illustrate the consequences and challenges for a society which embraces such a self-image.
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