Cultural heritage of the great war

Abstract

The First World War—also known as the Great War, which lasted from 1914 to 1918—left a significant mark on the twentieth century. It radically changed the demographic composition of Europe (about seventeen million people were killed), resulted in the dissolution of four empires (Austria-Hungary, Russia, Germany, and the Ottoman Empire), had a crucial impact on European values, inspired the search for the new man during the interwar period, and ultimately significantly influenced the shaping, perception, and reception of cultural heritage. Upon the hundredth anniversary of the war’s end, it is worth revisiting certain fundamental starting points and objectivizations—that is, chronotopes—of the First World War from the perspective of ethnology and cultural anthropology. This study thus focuses on three segments or perspectives: 1) the recording of memories or symbolization on monuments and graves; 2) the representation, understanding, and use of heroes, or the main social actors, as well as past and contemporary commemorations; and 3) the interpretations and reinterpretations of cultural and natural environments.