A nation’s identity builds on a common past and traditions. After the Second World War, the newborn government of the GDR had to make a concerted effort to create such traditions, building on the...Show moreA nation’s identity builds on a common past and traditions. After the Second World War, the newborn government of the GDR had to make a concerted effort to create such traditions, building on the history of the German working class and their leading historical figures. Among them: Clara Zetkin. A dedicated and respected politician in her time, she was made an icon in the GDR, as she was portrayed as an ideal socialist role model and heroine throughout the public sphere, by means of the memory politics of the SED. The biographies, newspaper articles, films, and museums focused on Zetkin, as well as the street signs, statues, banknotes, and awards bearing her name in the GDR created a particular image of the historical figure: a model socialist heroine. This image differs from the historical figure of Zetkin, as some parts have been emphasized, others downplayed, or left out entirely.Show less
The Sons of the Confederate Veterans (SCV) are driven by their pursuit to reform the modern American South on the basis of Neo-Confederate collective memory. Collective memory is a powerful tool:...Show moreThe Sons of the Confederate Veterans (SCV) are driven by their pursuit to reform the modern American South on the basis of Neo-Confederate collective memory. Collective memory is a powerful tool: it shapes a group’s identity. With recent controversy calling for the removal of Confederate symbolism throughout the southern United States, the SCV is fighting a rigorous battle not only for the construction of Confederate symbolism (as their forefathers have) but instead, for their defense. Its appeal however is questionable. How can a heritage organization maintain and further advance its legitimacy on the basis of a re-written history? How does the use of collective memory construction allow the SCV to use its construction and appropriation of the “Lost Cause” myth to advance Neo-Confederate ideology into Southern collective memory?Show less
