Cirrus@Austlit

'As part of its politics of memory, the European Union has expended considerable effort creating a transnational and unifying narrative of the past. By promoting a shared memory, it hopes to generate a sense of connectedness to ensure a peaceful future. Yet, in spite of numerous resolutions adopted by the European Parliament to unite Europe in its collective remembrance, conflicts, particularly over the memory of the Second World War, continue, and have even intensified. The September 2019 resolution on 'The importance of European remembrance for the future of Europe' was enthusiastically greeted by some in Europe as a tribute to all victims of all totalitarian regimes — but fiercely criticised by others as gross ideological propaganda and historical revisionism. While Europe's multiple pasts and identities cannot be shaped by resolutions or regulations, the development of more pluralistic narratives of the past might be possible and worthwhile.' (Introduction)