2nd Autumn School

2nd Autumn School of the Department of History and Archaeology

University of Patras
National Reconciliation Park, Grammos
September 20-23, 2025
Trauma and Historical Memory

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

1. Traumatic Memory: A Profound Impact on the Human Psyche

Traumatic memory refers to the experience or storage of memories arising from events so intense that they disrupt an individual's psychological and emotional balance. Instead of being integrated into the normal flow of life, these memories remain trapped in the subconscious, often causing mental health issues and emotional distress. Whether linked to violence, natural disasters, accidents, or other painful experiences, traumatic memory can have long-term effects on mental health.

2. The Nature of Traumatic Memory

Traumatic memory is not merely a recollection of a painful event; it is the very sensation of pain, loss, or terror that continuously resurfaces. Rather than being processed as part of an individual’s past, the traumatic experience remains vivid and active, causing distress and tension. Neurological processes involved in the creation of such memories often include heightened activity in brain areas responsible for fear and emotional recall. Individuals who experience trauma may find themselves in a constant state of “returning” to the traumatic moment through flashbacks, nightmares, or anxiety. Memories of the event may be fragmented and confusing, making it difficult for the person to recall the experience clearly, even though the emotional impact remains unchanged. This disruption in memory creates intense emotional instability and difficulties in daily functioning.

Traumatic memory is often associated with conditions such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which manifests in symptoms like excessive anxiety, withdrawal, hypersensitivity to trauma-related stimuli, and recurring nightmares. PTSD affects an individual’s ability to experience life in "normal" ways, while relationships with others may deteriorate or become significantly strained. Additionally, traumatic memory is linked to the development of other mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety disorders, and social isolation. The persistent tension resulting from trauma can lead to a sense of despair, where every effort for relief seems futile.

3. Addressing Traumatic Memory

Managing traumatic memory requires a deep and systematic approach to restoring an individual’s mental health. Psychotherapy, especially Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure Therapy, has proven effective in addressing PTSD symptoms and other trauma-related conditions. Therapy helps individuals understand their experience and acknowledge it as part of their lives rather than an unresolved burden. The process of reevaluating traumatic experiences through therapy allows individuals to accept and integrate them in a new way. Additionally, physical exercise, mindfulness practices, and social support from family and friends can enhance the healing process.

Society and supportive institutions also play a crucial role in assisting trauma survivors. Education and awareness about traumatic memory can reduce stigma and encourage treatment, offering a safe space for trauma expression and care. Traumatic memory is one of the most intense and painful aspects of the human psyche, affecting not only the individual but society as a whole. Acceptance, understanding, and treatment are vital for restoring mental health and creating a world where support and empathy form the foundation for healing.

4. Traumatic Memory in the Public Sphere and Its Relationship with History

Traumatic memory is not just a personal experience but constitutes a collective mechanism that influences societies, shapes political life, and integrates into public discourse, monuments, memories, and narratives of the past. Traumatic memory is linked to events that have left deep wounds on society, such as wars, forced labor, genocides, displacements, or social injustices. While these events may concern a specific group or society, they also form a legacy that affects future generations. In public spaces, traumatic memory is often materialized through monuments, exhibitions, commemorations, and memorial ceremonies aimed at preserving and transmitting collective memory. However, the presence of such memorials in public spaces is often controversial and sparks debates, as their construction, location, and interpretation may reveal political, social, or ethnic tensions. Frequently, this memory is not neutral but is shaped by prevailing political powers or dominant ideologies.

The relationship between traumatic memory and history is highly complex. History, as both a science and a narrative, seeks to provide objectivity and interpret past events based on evidence and data. In contrast, traumatic memory often includes subjective experiences, emotions, and narratives that may not always fit within official historiography. This difference can lead to conflicts between "official" and "unofficial" historical narratives, with the latter revealing resistance, pain, or the silencing of certain events. Processing traumatic memory in the public sphere is crucial for social reconciliation and the acceptance of historical truth. Revisiting and acknowledging past traumas can help societies move forward, heal, and prevent the repetition of past mistakes. However, this process requires an understanding that history is not an immutable truth but an evolving narrative in which collective memories play a decisive role. Traumatic memory does not simply "fade" or remain in the past. It continues to live in public spaces, in ongoing discussions about identity, justice, and reparation, and in recognizing the burdens of the past for the future. Thus, history and traumatic memory are inextricably linked, as history cannot be written without acknowledging the traumas that shaped it, and traumatic memory cannot exist without recognizing its historical dimension.

5. Traumatic Memory of the Greek Civil War (1946-1949)

The traumatic memory of the Greek Civil War (1946-1949) is a topic that continues to affect both collective and individual consciousness in Greece, as it left deep wounds that remain open to this day. The war, a result of intense political and ideological polarization, caused immense destruction and human suffering, which persist through social and personal memory. Traumatic memory of the Civil War is associated with the lived experiences of fear, pain, loss, and the judgment of the "other." People who were direct victims—whether as soldiers or civilians—carried memories of violence, displacement, the loss of loved ones, and uncertainty about their future. This memory was never a mere "passive" recollection of the past but rather a burden that shaped their behavior and worldview.

From the moment it erupted, the Civil War created divisions that did not disappear with the restoration of peace. The national unity that followed the end of hostilities did not lead to social reconciliation. Instead, traumatic memories kept wounds open for decades. The fear of "revenge" and the need for justice influenced social behavior, as individuals relived the trauma and loss over and over again. From the 1950s onward, differing interpretations of the war by successive governments and political parties, the systematic suppression of narratives from the "defeated," and the political silencing of the pain experienced by those on the losing side contributed to the isolation of traumatic memory. At the same time, the silence surrounding the psychological and social consequences of the war left traumatic experiences unprocessed, while a sense of injustice remained alive.

Today’s society continues to grapple with the traumatic consequences of the Civil War through memory, which often resurfaces in personal and collective narratives. Over time, these memories remain vivid, shaping the identities of families and communities most affected by the conflict. Examining traumatic memory, though challenging, is considered crucial for understanding social restoration and the emotional healing of future generations. The relationship between traumatic memory and the Greek Civil War remains an unresolved issue, both personally and nationally. The memory of the Civil War remains traumatic precisely because society has not yet fully processed and reconciled the contradictions and suffering it caused, leaving past wounds open.

THEMATIC UNITS

The three-day autumn school focusing on traumatic memory in history covers a variety of themes related to the impact of historical trauma on societies, individuals, and collective identities. These themes allow for a broad and interdisciplinary approach to the issue of traumatic memory in history, combining historical, psychological, sociological, educational, and political perspectives, etc.

Indicatively, it includes the following themes:

Recording and recovering traumatic experiences [Analysis of how history records and reproduces the traumas of the past / Use of written and non-written sources (testimonies, archives, oral history) in preserving memory].
Communication and resistance in societies after traumatic experiences [The resistance of communities to process and accept historical trauma / Monuments, museums, and cultural works as means of recognizing and recording traumatic events].
The politics of memory and uprisings [How governments and political entities manage collective memory and the history of traumatic events].
Trauma, identity, and social development [The connection between traumatic memory and the formation of national or social identity].
Psychological aspects of trauma [The psychological impact of historical memory on individuals and the generations that follow].
The transmission of trauma and intergenerational memory [The concept of collective memory and victim memory, with examples from different parts of the world (e.g., exile, displaced populations)].
Traumatic events and mobilizations for justice and reparation [The challenge of justice for historical trauma in societies that have experienced violence or oppression].
Contradictions and criticism of collective memory [Comparisons between different versions of history and how various communities understand and interpret traumatic events].
Trauma in history and educational practice [Education as a means of managing the past and building a future based on dialogue and mutual understanding].
Traumatic memory and artificial intelligence (AI) [AI models for detecting patterns in data from interviews, social networks, or even biometric data, which may be related to traumatic experiences].

2nd Autumn School: Trauma and Historical Memory
Dates: 20-23 September 2025
Location: National Reconciliation Park, Grammos

Purpose & Themes
The Autumn School focuses on the study of traumatic memory and how it shapes historical narratives, collective identity, and public history. Topics to be examined include:

Nationalism and historical memory
Trauma and public history
Jewish memory and the Holocaust
The politics of memory
Education and trauma
Trauma and artificial intelligence
Psychoanalysis and trauma

Program

Day 1: Introduction & Methodology

Opening Speech by Christos Merantzas: "What is Traumatic Memory?"
Seminar: Methodological Approaches to the Study of Trauma Memory
Lectures:
- Konstantina Karakosta, Assistant Professor, University of Patras [The traumatically experienced event and the formation of historical consciousness]
- Zoë Karanikola, Faculty Member, University of Patras [Cultural identity of individuals with refugee and migratory background, integration and trauma management]
- Vassilis Komis, Professor, University of Patras [Narratives of traumatic experiences from the Civil War in Crete: a brief family history through the eyes of a non-historian]
- Dimitris Koukopoulos, Professor, University of Patras
- Eleni Mavropoulou, Faculty Member, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
- Christos Merantzas, Professor, University of Patras
- George Panagiotopoulos, Professor, University of Patras
- Spyridoula Pyrpylí, Faculty Member, University of Patras [The museum as a space for addressing and healing historical trauma]
- Iosif Fragkoulis, Professor, ASPAITΕ [The utilization of art as a means of mitigating traumatic memory]

They participate by delivering via Zoom presentations:

- Andreas Katsaniotis, Member of Parliament for Achaia with New Democracy, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

- Kornetis Kostis, Assistant Professor of Contemporary History, Autonomous University of Madrid [Intersections of trauma and memory: the Spanish experience]

- Kostas Laskaratos, PhD, Panteion University, Journalist at ERT

Day 2:

Workshop: Analysis of Historical Documents and Oral Testimonies
Group Activity: Mapping the Memory of Trauma in the Public Sphere: Meeting with the Civil War Narrators in Eptachori
Psychiatric Perspective and Therapeutic Approach to Trauma. Coordinated by Professor Petros Petrikis, Director of the Psychiatry Department at the University Hospital of Ioannina.
Music Night: Works related to traumatic memory
Solo Violin: Maestro Gerasimos Lolis

Day 3: Memory Sites of the Civil War

Form & Activities

Lectures by experts in cultural history, education, cultural informatics, public history, and psychiatry
Interactive seminars and workshops
Visits to monuments and historical sites
Participatory discussions and group activities

Speakers & Participants

University professors and researchers specializing in memory, history, education, cultural informatics, and psychiatry
Local historians and museum curators
Participants from various academic fields
Students

Participation Information
Contact: Christos Merantzas, Professor of History of Civilizations

The Autumn School is part of the events of the "Grammos Festival 2025"

2nd Autumn School