Memory Politics and Pluralism

In this research pillar, we study how key norms of democracy such as pluralism and mutual tolerance emerge and are sustained, with a particular focus on the role of the politics of memory. In democratic societies, how we collectively remember the past and engage with our nations’ histories is increasingly contested. From what is taught in school to the public monuments and memorials we erect or remove, memory politics have become a battle ground between those who seek to glorify the national past and those who seek to highlight atrocities and injustices committed, typically against minoritized groups. Actors across the political spectrum are mobilizing memory for their visions of what society should look like – drawing on the past to paint a picture for the future. Memory politics thus have important implications for political behavior and attitudes related to support for pluralism, tolerance, and democracy.

We ask: Does engaging with past atrocities and injustice increase support for a democratic, pluralistic society, under which conditions, and for whom? Which formats of remembrance and education are effective at improving intergroup relations? To what extent do public positions on remembrance align with private beliefs? Can a nuanced understanding of the past increase mutual tolerance in politics?

Publications

"Participating in a digital history project mobilizes people for symbolic justice and liberal democracy.” (with Ruth Ditlmann and Oguzhan Turkoglu) (revise & resubmit)

“Confronting the Past in a Polarized Present: The Effect of Holocaust Representations on Mobilization for Symbolic Justice and against Antisemitism.” (with Ruth Ditlmann and Oguzhan Turkoglu) (under review), Published as WZB discussion paper in October 2024

"The Impact of Collective Remembrance Projects: A Multi-Country Study.” (with Ruth Ditlmann and Oguzhan Turkoglu) (in progress)

"Confronting the Past? The Politics of Memory in Germany" (with Vicky Fouka and Elias Dinas), in progress