Constructions of conflict

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This collection of essays examines how memories of social, political, and military conflicts have been conveyed in twentieth- and twenty-first-century European historiography, culture, and media, highlighting the diverse representations of conflict that have emerged. Covering events from world wars to national conflicts, civil protests, and terrorism between 1914 and 2009, the volume analyzes conflict representations across various national contexts, including East/West Germany, post-reunification Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Great Britain, and Iran. Individual essays delve into the roles of memory agents and mediators, such as protesters, soldiers, policemen, historians, journalists, writers, and bloggers, while exploring the interplay between state-sanctioned memories, political memories, and personal recollections. The influence of different memory carriers is also discussed, including historical narratives, commemorative ceremonies, memorials, literature, films, new media, and visual representations like graphic novels and photographs. Organized around three key themes—‘public and private discourses of memory,’ ‘counter-memories,’ and ‘commemorative practices’—the contributions foster a vibrant dialogue on contemporary processes of representing and constructing conflict.