De Italiaanse zwijgcultuur

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study is to determine to which extent collective memory of fascism and resistance in the 1930s and 1940s has influenced dealing with difficult heritage. Data for the research were collected with the help of archive, literature and ethnographic research. After the introduction the first three chapters of this study contain the theoretical framework, the academic discussion and the methodology. The fourth chapter provides an overview of the Italian political situation after the Second World War which turned out to be divided. The chapter reveal a continuous struggle of the political powers with the memory culture. In the fifth chapter a case study reveals why the Museo Storico della Liberazione in Rome is a good example for the Italian memory culture. By ignoring fascist history and focusing on the victims of the German occupation the museum is in line with the Italian memory culture of silence. This case study will be supported by other examples of heritage and monuments in Rome that confirm the Italian tradition of dealing with heritage culture. The last chapter focuses on a comparison between Italy and Spain, France and Germany which shows that the four countries have had similar developments but in a different timespan and that the influence of the political system was vital. The conclusion is that the memory culture in Italy is still divided because there is no clear policy regarding dealing with heritage.