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Autumn School of the Department of History and Archaeology of the University of Patras at the National Reconciliation Park of the Hellenic Parliament Foundation in Grammos

(September 26-28, 2024)

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THEMATIC FOCUS

The thematic focus of the Autumn School covered the fields of historical memory, cultural topography, technology, education, and culture, under the general title:
"Memory and History in the 20th and 21st Century"
Scientific Coordinator: Professor Christos D. Merantzas

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THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

The performativity of memory as a place, body, and object articulates an exceptionally rich identity, shaped by numerous public manifestations and landmarks that reconstruct historical moments of the past. This constitutes a topography of social space formation, constructing a dominant collective memory, within which conflicting cultural and ideological connotations can coexist alongside hegemonic narratives.

As memory holds social value, the cultural configuration of public space requires the activation of multiple manifestations of historical memory, along with various practices and performances accompanying it. The presence of memory in public space necessitates a specific continuity and essential dependence on historical past events, particularly when issues of national identity are emphasized. Public space, therefore, becomes the open stage of historical memory, inevitably marked by its traces.

Memory, as an expression of historical spatiality, does not merely objectify historical events but also reinforces their significance, preservation, and maturation. The public representation of memory, when it assumes an intensely experiential character, serves as a reminder of distinctiveness and uniqueness, through which the past asserts its presence in the present. This creates a "value-added" presence that seeks to counteract the loss of remembrance.

The commemorative representation of "places of memory" forms a comprehensive tableau of events, dates, and individuals, a formalized material archiving of memory that often activates a topography of commemorative rituals. Additionally, each mnemonic construction as a place of memory, due to its symbolic and functional significance, extends beyond a mere landmark; it integrates into the ritual of a commemorative ceremony, reaffirming the experiential presence of history. In its multiplicity of meanings, the mnemonic landmark renews the sense of belonging to a national identity, as its tangible dimension—accompanied by its intangible essence—supports a recurring commemorative celebration, aiming to reconstruct and bring past fragments into the present, objectifying a promise of continuity tied to national identity.

Thus, memory, in its material manifestation, becomes tangible, present in synchrony while simultaneously moving through diachrony. This mnemonic process culturally signifies embodied space, generating communicative narratives that are fundamental to how cultures reproduce themselves. Consequently, the embodied self is shaped not only in spatial synchrony but also in diachronic continuity within that space.

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OBJECTIVES

The objective of the School was to allow students, by engaging with a site of traumatic memory and reconstructing its geographical landmarks, to explore and understand a region of significant historical and emotional weight. This weight results from the deadly battles and the devastating civil war from early 1945 to the end of 1949, which marked the political, social, cultural, and economic identity of modern Greece.

Furthermore, students had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with an ecologically significant region and participate in an educational practice that included attending two lectures. These lectures examined the formation and significance of memory over time, the impact of trauma on national identity through specific historical examples, and the importance of conceptualizing and utilizing memory in educational processes.

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METHOD

Teaching was conducted by seven faculty members of the Department of History and Archaeology of the University of Patras (in alphabetical order), with the participation of 15 students. The lectures covered topics such as oral history and memory, the management of conflict-related issues, examples from Greek and European history, historical memory in the digital world, challenges and practices in global citizenship, the objectification of national history in public space, and the cultural topography of memory.

During the two afternoon sessions of the School, the following faculty members of the Department of History and Archaeology of the University of Patras delivered in-person lectures:

1. Konstantina Karakosta (Assistant Professor): Oral history and memory: Conflict issues and their management

2. Zoi Karanikola (Special Teaching Staff): Global citizenship: Challenges and practices

3. Dimitrios Koukopoulos (Professor): Historical memory and the digital world

4. Angelos Lykourgiotis (PhD Candidate): Historical memory and sustainable development within the urban cultural landscape: The case of the Old Municipal Hospital of Ano Poli, Patras

5. Christos Merantzas (Professor): The objectification of national history in public space: The case of the city of Ioannina

6. Spyridoula Pyrpyli (Special Teaching Staff): The Finnish Civil War: The case of the Tampere 1918 Civil War Museum

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Additionally, the President of the Department, Professor Elli Lemonidou, delivered an online lecture on The purpose of studying controversial and conflict-laden issues in History – Examples from Greek and European history.

The Rector of the University of Patras, Professor Christos Bouras, and the Vice-Rector, Professor Georgios Panagiotopoulos, also addressed the event remotely. They expressed their gratitude to the Hellenic Parliament Foundation for supporting the implementation of the Autumn School and wished for the initiative to become an established institution in the future.

Grammos is undeniably a highly emotionally and historically charged space. Our three-day presence in the region posed a significant challenge, as conflicting narratives, opposing experiences, and contentious memories continue to provoke intense ideological debates with serious social, political, and even personal implications.

 

During the School, participants had the opportunity to take part in a three-hour guided tour of the permanent exhibition of the National Reconciliation Park by the Scientific Coordinator Dr. Theodoros Siontis, who also led a historical tour of the "Hill of Haros."