CATTALK: History of Memory

Thursday 22 April 2021 – 7.30pm

The History of Memory

This CATTalk considers the sub-field of collective memory within the discipline of history. What societies believe, know, or feel about the past changes over time, reflecting the shifting priorities and needs of the present. The ways in which we remember the past – from the long-standing rituals of Remembrance Day in Britain to the development of new memorials such as the National September 11 Memorial Museum in New York – are constructed over time and influenced by a myriad of stakeholders. Understanding this process sheds light on how the past is made present – or absent, as with the Edward Colston statue in Bristol – in our lives today. After introducing some examples of this process and the ways in which it can be analyzed by historians, Dr Garber will touch on how interrogating the distinction between history and memory can help us engage more critically with everyday references to the past in our own lives. 

To join click here. Event starts at 7.30pm.