Overview

When questions of belonging enter the forefront of political debates, so too does heritage. This volume draws critical voices from archaeology, anthropology and the classics into a conversation about political uses of the past in times of radical right populism. The authors show how ancient monuments and sites, bygone eras and political regimes, and even your genetic ancestry, can become wrapped up in polarized political debates. They also highlight how heritage, which is often thought of as a common good, can be dangerous in times of political polarization – erasing nuances between ‘us’ and ‘them’. Together, the texts pave the way for a better understanding of the political role of heritage in society.

Full Product Details

Author:   Elisabeth Niklasson
Publisher:   Berghahn Books
Imprint:   Berghahn Books
ISBN:  

9781800738485

ISBN 10:   180073848
Pages:   234
Publication Date:   13 January 2023
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

List of Illustrations Introduction: Heritage and Belonging in Times of Political Polarization Elisabeth Niklasson Chapter 1. Heritage, Memory, Race: The Culture of the Far Right Chiara de Cesari Chapter 2. Innocence Reinvented: Far-Right Mythmaking in Hungary Cathrine Thorleifsson Chapter 3. Possessive Pasts: Heritage in Far-Right Rhetoric in Scandinavia Elisabeth Niklasson and Herdis Holleland Chapter 4. 'Western Civilization', White Supremacism and the Myth of a White Ancient Greece Rebecca Futo Kennedy Chapter 5. Memory between Repression and Deception: Germany's Shattered Stratigraphies Reinhard Bernbeck Chapter 6. Walking through the Darkest Valley: Heritage and Hatred in the Era of Reactionary Populism Alfredo Gonzalez-Ruibal Chapter 7. Is DNA a Dangerous Heritage? Chip Colwell Chapter 8. The Sigtuna Debacle: A Story of Ancient DNA, Immigrants, and Fake News in a Viking Age Town in Sweden Anna Kallen Chapter 9. The Threat of Essence: Reflections on the Heritage of Racism and the Racism of Heritage Michael Herzfeld Index

Reviews

This volume adds an important and highly original contribution to debates on the contested role of heritage, identities and belonging in European states in the 21st century. Focusing on the instrumental role of the past in polarizing debates about origins, ethnicity, and nationhood, the volume offers a compelling account about the rise of populism and right-wing movements in Europe and their engagement with heritage discourse to meet their political ends. * Graeme Were, University of Bristol This book is a timely contribution to a critical discussion on the political uses of heritage in polarized Western societies. It brings together thoughtfully written case studies in which the meaning-making of heritage is explored through racism, ethnonationalism, identity-building, and exclusive interpretations of the past. * Tuuli Lahdesmaki, University of Jyvaskyla

Author Information

Elisabeth Niklasson is Lecturer in Cultural Heritage at University of Aberdeen. She pursues research on EU heritage policy and the uses of the past by political parties in Scandinavia.

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