Heritage Under Socialism - (New Perspectives on Central and Eastern European Studies) by Eszter Gantner & Corinne Geering & Paul Vickers (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

How was heritage understood and implemented in European socialist states after World War II? By exploring national and regional specificities within the broader context of internationalization, this volume enriches the conceptual, methodological and empirical scope of heritage studies through a series of fascinating case studies. Its transnational approach highlights the socialist world's diverse interpretations of heritage and the ways in which they have shaped the trajectories of present-day preservation practices.

Review Quotes

"The introduction nicely summarizes the general issues that distinguish this work from other post-socialist heritage studies in the region. Importantly, this volume takes socialist approaches to heritage seriously rather than seeing socialism as a past best forgotten...Recommended" - Choice

"The chapters collected together in this volume offer valuable insights into the diverse and complex field of cultural heritage studies in Eastern and Central Europe... Due to the sheer variety of themes, methodologies and approaches, the book constitutes an important contribution not only for heritage studies scholars, but also for Cold War historians, and specialists in Eastern European, Soviet as well as transnational and global cultural history." - Heritage & Society

"Looking into the nuances of the socialist heritage definition is one of the major values of this volume. The papers convincingly demonstrate that heritage experts addressed issues similar to their colleagues outside the Iron Curtain and were parts of a global discourse contributing to the theoretical and practical processes that took the field where it is today...Specialists in heritage studies dedicated to decolonizing the academic discourse will find the contributions inspiring. The volume, however, also offers a new insight into the cultural and political history of the region through analyzing the heritage domain." - Austrian History Yearbook

"This coherent, well-conceived book presents a wide range of issues through a selection of interesting cases. Its focus on the Central and Eastern Europe region is an important addition to the wider discussion concerning the geopolitics of knowledge." - Magdalena Banaszkiewicz, Jagiellonian University

About the Author

Paul Vickers has been manager of the Center for International and Transnational Area Studies (CITAS) and the Leibniz ScienceCampus Europe and America at the University of Regensburg, Germany, since 2018. His book, Making Popular Memory in Communist Poland, is forthcoming.