Towards responsible geographies of memory: complexities of place and the ethics of remembering

Abstract

Summary:Debates about the meanings of place often emerge when unsettled pasts resurface unexpectedly in ways that dislocate present-day land-uses. Such was the case for the IGU 2011 Regional Meeting in Chile, which was held in Santiago's Military Academy. When considering the geographical scholarship about place and memory, the debates resulting from the conference should not be surprising. Geographers have long examined the controversial processes of social memory and forgetting at places marked by state-perpetrated violence and have noted the unpredictability of group memory due to the translocal nature of how places are connected to peoples and pasts through socio-political networks, cultural and economic connections, and personal and shared emotional geographies. To understand the complexities of ethical relationships we have with places marked by violence, we look to another example, the Memorial and Museum Camp Westerbork in the Netherlands. The past is never 'set in stone' or stable in present-day landscapes. Just as the narratives associated with remembering and forgetting the past may change through time, so too do the spatial contexts of memory. When space-times shift unexpectedly, new social discussions about the significance of the past in the present may emerge. With both examples in mind, we conclude by making a case for the creation of "responsible geographies of memory". We argue that it is our professional responsibility as geographers and our obligation as global citizens to: 1) acknowledge that landscapes often function as places of critical testimony for survivors; 2) problematize singular claims to the authenticity of place made through universal narratives and seemingly stable material landscapes; 3) create safe spaces of listening, wherein stories about place can be articulated and acknowledged by various stakeholders, while recognizing the moral complexities in representing violence through textual, visual and embodied means; and 4) recognize the progressive potential of places as cosmopolitan spaces of encounter and learning. By treating places marked by difficult pasts as cosmopolitan, hosts and visitors are invited to engage critically with the unfolding processes of memory politics, and adopt respectful approaches toward justice that includes caring for places and peoples in the past and present.Zusammenfassung: Debatten über die Bedeutung von Orten der Erinnerung entstehen oftmals, wenn eine nicht aufgearbeitete Vergangenheit die gegenwärtige Nutzung dieser Orte in unerwarteter Weise in Frage stellt. Genau dies war der Fall, als im Jahr 2001 das IGU Regional Meeting in Chile in Santiagos Militärakademie ausgerichtet wurde. Ein Blick in die einschlägige geographische Literatur über Erinnerungsorte lässt die aus dieser Konferenz sich ergebende Debatte kaum überraschend erscheinen. Die kontroversen Prozesse kollektiven Gedenkens und Vergessens an Orten, die durch staatlich verübte Gewaltverbrechen gekennzeichnet sind, gelten seit langem als Gegenstand geographischer Forschung. Die Erken...

Place and the spatial politics of intergenerational remembrance of the Iron Gates displacements in Romania, 1966–1972

“…Hence, place‐based memory is a way to recollect the past of a group of people who experienced some shared history in a certain place during a period of time (Jones & Garde‐Hansen, ; McDowell, ). Thus, the geographies of memory politics are transcultural signifiers – neither static nor fixed in space – but communicated across spaces through shared affects and emotions (Till & Kuusisto‐Arponen, ). Within a community with a shared tragic history, some violent events of the past are retold as rites of memorials to all those who are interested in that history (Tyner et al., ).…”

“…The issue of intergenerational memory has not been developed in geography (see Till & Kuusisto‐Arponen, ), but the Iron Gates displacement memories obviously had a strong impact down the generations. While the production of post‐socialist memory formation is relatively neglected (Light & Young, ), this paper develops original points in this field and the field of the geographies of memory more broadly (Legg, ).…”

“…The collective memory of violence and trauma has risen to significance in recent decades (Tumarkin, ; Tyner et al, ). Memories appear to emerge in response to specific events, such as social and economic processes (Legg, ), but recent work has pointed to the importance of recognising the role of inter/transgenerational memory and unexpected images facilitating the transmission of such dramatic events to the next generations (Till & Kuusisto‐Arponen, ). Moreover, by placing intergenerational memories in the context of post‐socialist memories, recalling key events of state‐led virulent actions against communities in the Communist era, the violence of place, body and spirit become a critical “traumascape” arena (Philo, ; Tumarkin, ).…”

“…There have recently been calls for a better understanding of the post‐socialist memory of the communist past through “letting citizens” voices and “memories speak” (Light & Young, , p. 241; see also Young & Light, ) and this work tries to respond to these calls and to promote current theories and thus contribute not only to the less developed issue of intergenerational memories in general (Till & Kuusisto‐Arponen, ), but more specifically to unravelling the nature of communist memories under state‐led actions (see Stan, ; Tismaneanu, ), how they were shaped in the post‐socialist context and a thorough consideration of post‐socialist memory formation (Light & Young, ). Following this theoretical framework, this paper considers the spatial politics of intergenerational memory that followed the Iron Gates population displacement, placing the context in Romania.…”

Modern Christian Landscape in Nanjing, China: A Literature Review

“…The "sense of place" is a profound emotional connection developed by humans based on their memories and experiences of, and feelings about cultural landscape [45]. After the outbreak of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Christian churches in Nanjing were involved in a historical process of local memory and reinforced the "sense of place" in Nanjing.…”