Memory and memorials : the commemorative century

The twentieth century, perhaps more than any other, was shaped by war and conflict. In particular, the two world wars have had a profound influence on the development of world history, especially in western Europe. The aim of Memory and Memorials, however, is not to seek the effects war has had on the twentieth century, but rather to explore how societies chose to remember wars and manipulate this memory for political and cultural purposes. Tackling issues of actual memory, distorted memory and reconstructions of the past, the use and nature of the war memorial, and the reflection of all these points in selected art, literature and film, the main theme of Memory and Memorials is to stress both continuity and change in memory and memorial.