Overview

How was heritage understood and implemented in European socialist states after World War II? By exploring national and regional specificities within the broader context of internationalization, this volume enriches the conceptual, methodological and empirical scope of heritage studies through a series of fascinating case studies. Its transnational approach highlights the socialist world’s diverse interpretations of heritage and the ways in which they have shaped the trajectories of present-day preservation practices.

Full Product Details

Author:   Eszter Gantner ,  Corinne Geering ,  Paul Vickers
Publisher:   Berghahn Books
Imprint:   Berghahn Books
ISBN:  

9781805391265

ISBN 10:   1805391267
Pages:   254
Publication Date:   13 October 2023
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

List of Illustrations Acknowledgements Introduction: Heritage Under Socialism: Trajectories of Preserving the Tangible Past in Postwar Eastern and Central Europe Corinne Geering and Paul Vickers Part I: Transfers and Exchanges in Heritage Policies and Practices Chapter 1. The Past Belongs to the Future: Heritage in Soviet Policymaking on Cultural Development Corinne Geering Chapter 2. International Experts – National Martyrdom – Socialist Heritage: The Contribution of the Polish People’s Republic to the Early UNESCO World Heritage Program Julia Röttjer Chapter 3. International Tourism and the Making of the National Heritage Canon in Late Soviet Ukraine, 1964–1991 Iryna Sklokina Chapter 4. International Contacts and Cooperation in Heritage Preservation in Soviet Estonia, 1960–1990 Karin Hallas-Murula and Kaarel Truu Part II: Canonizing and Contesting the Past: Heritage, Place and Belonging under Socialism Chapter 5. Socialist Royalty? The Ambiguities of the Reconstruction of the Royal Residence in Budapest in the 1950s Eszter Gantner Chapter 6. Justifying Demolition, Questioning Value: Urban Typologies and the Concept of the “Historic Town” in 1960s Romania Liliana Iuga Chapter 7. Making Sense of Socialism through Heritage Preservation: Stories from Northwest Bohemia Čeněk Pýcha Chapter 8. Socialism and the Rise of Industrial Heritage: The Preservation of Industrial Monuments in the German Democratic Republic Nele-Hendrikje Lehmann Conclusion: Transnational Heritage Networks in Socialist Eastern and Central Europe Corinne Geering

Reviews

“The introduction nicely summarizes the general issues that distinguish this work from other post-socialist heritage studies in the region. Importantly, this volume takes socialist approaches to heritage seriously rather than seeing socialism as a past best forgotten…Recommended” • Choice “The chapters collected together in this volume offer valuable insights into the diverse and complex field of cultural heritage studies in Eastern and Central Europe… Due to the sheer variety of themes, methodologies and approaches, the book constitutes an important contribution not only for heritage studies scholars, but also for Cold War historians, and specialists in Eastern European, Soviet as well as transnational and global cultural history.” • Heritage & Society “Looking into the nuances of the socialist heritage definition is one of the major values of this volume. The papers convincingly demonstrate that heritage experts addressed issues similar to their colleagues outside the Iron Curtain and were parts of a global discourse contributing to the theoretical and practical processes that took the field where it is today…Specialists in heritage studies dedicated to decolonizing the academic discourse will find the contributions inspiring. The volume, however, also offers a new insight into the cultural and political history of the region through analyzing the heritage domain.” • Austrian History Yearbook “This coherent, well-conceived book presents a wide range of issues through a selection of interesting cases. Its focus on the Central and Eastern Europe region is an important addition to the wider discussion concerning the geopolitics of knowledge.” • Magdalena Banaszkiewicz, Jagiellonian University

Author Information

Eszter Gantner (1971–2019) was a research fellow and project coordinator at the Herder Institute for Historical Research on East Central Europe in Marburg, Germany, from 2013 to 2019. She published widely on heritage, the urban history of East Central Europe, and Jewish history.

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