Remembering for Whom? Concepts for Memorials in Western Europe

Abstract

In this chapter World War II in Western Europe is seen as a formative part of the construct of Europe. The collective and differing individual historical experiences of thirteen European countries are analyzed. Comparisons between different “Western” countries of the continent reveal a group whose historical remembrance after 1945 concentrates primarily on the members’ own suffering under the German terror during World War II (e.g., Belgium and Austria). Other cultures of remembrance (e.g., Denmark and France) are shown to be rooted more strongly in a tradition of resistance. The author points out the long time it took for most European countries to begin coming to terms with the Holocaust and wartime collaboration. He notes both change in the self-images of the countries that had not been occupied and the different memory that Germany’s wartime allies have of their role in the conflict, their relationship with the Germans, and the conduct of the war.