Research report 2018 - Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity
Empires of memory
Authors
Walton, Jeremy F.
Departments
Max-Planck-Institut zur Erforschung multireligiöser und multiethnischer Gesellschaften, Göttingen
Summary
The empires that once defined Europe no longer exist. However, Europe’s former empires have not simply become relics of history. Imperial pasts continue to inspire nostalgia, identification, pride, anxiety, skepticism, and disdain today. Especially the Habsburg and Ottoman Empires are enjoying a renaissance and even are thought to offer solutions to today’s conflicts based on ethnic, religious and national diversity. Following the legacies and memories of empires in eight southeast and central European cities sheds light on forms of “restorative” and “reflective” nostalgia for both empires.