Book
Memory in Early Modern Europe 1500 - 1800
For early modern Europeans, the past was a measure of most things, good and bad. For that reason it was also hotly contested, manipulated, and far too important to be left to historians alone.
- Author
- Judith Pollmann
- Date
- 08 August 2017
- Links
- Oxford University Press
Memory in Early Modern Europe offers a lively and accessible introduction to the many ways in which Europeans engaged with the past and 'practised' memory in the three centuries between 1500 and 1800. From childhood memories and local customs to war traumas and peacekeeping , it analyses how Europeans tried to control, mobilize and reconfigure memories of the past. Challenging the long-standing view that memory cultures transformed around 1800, it argues for the continued relevance of early modern memory practices in modern societies. Much of the research for this book was done in the context of Judith Pollmann’s NWO VICI project Tales of the Revolt. Memory, oblivion and identity, 1566-1700, and memories of the Dutch Revolt, as well as the commemoration of the 1574 siege and relief of Leiden feature prominently in this study.