Andreas Huyssen’s observation of a “memory boom of unprecedented proportions” in the post-wall era has not lost its pertinence today; on the contrary, the 21st century continues to be marked by a preoccupation with discourses surrounding memory in the academic, political, cultural and public spheres. This is most certainly the case in Europe, where efforts to foster a greater sense of purpose for the project of European integration are often accompanied by a turn to memory and commemorative practices.

Alongside such institutional calls for a common European memory, academic memory studies have stressed the need to consider the transnational dimensions of cultural memory. As the nation loses its credence as the sole framework for collective memory and identity in this latest phase of globalization, mass migration and new media, scholars have drawn increasing attention to the ways in which memories operate multidirectionally (Rothberg) within as well as outside of and between nations.

This conference seeks to take stock of such transnational dimensions of European memory by investigating not only how memory discourses circulate on intra-European, but also on extra-European levels.

Usable Pasts and Futurities- Poster

When? May 22-23, 2014

Where? 956 Kaneff Tower, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto