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Memorial Ambivalences in Postcommunist Romania: Generational Attitudes towards the Symbolic Legacy of Communism

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  • Mihai Stelian Rusu

    (Department of Social Work, Journalism, Public Relations, and Sociology, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, 550024 Sibiu, Romania)

  • Alin Croitoru

    (Department of Social Work, Journalism, Public Relations, and Sociology, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, 550024 Sibiu, Romania)

Abstract

After the demise of state socialism, public space became an issue of contention that occupied an important place within societies’ efforts to come to terms with the recent past. Extant scholarship documented extensively how postcommunist societies in Central and Eastern Europe have reconfigured the public space by removing the symbolic presence of the former regime (e.g., monuments and statues, but also place- and street names). However, there is a scarcity of research done on exploring the reception of these broad changes brought to the public statuary and urban nomenclature. In this study, we aim to contribute to this nascent strand of literature by investigating the generational differences in social attitudes towards the symbolic transformation of public space in postcommunist Romania. Data collected through a national web-survey conducted in February 2021 ( n = 1156) revealed significant intergenerational differences regarding the removal of monuments and the renaming of streets. In particular, higher approval of such memory work was found among the generations born during communism in comparison to the postcommunist generation. Taking stock of these generational differences, as well as the factors underpinning them, contributes to a better understanding of how ordinary people relate to the politics of memory enacted in transforming societies.

Suggested Citation

  • Mihai Stelian Rusu & Alin Croitoru, 2021. "Memorial Ambivalences in Postcommunist Romania: Generational Attitudes towards the Symbolic Legacy of Communism," Societies, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-15, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:11:y:2021:i:3:p:99-:d:615009
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Duncan Light & Craig Young, 2010. "Political Identity, Public Memory and Urban Space: A Case Study of , Bucharest from 1906 to the Present," Europe-Asia Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 62(9), pages 1453-1478.
    2. Mihai Stelian Rusu, 2017. "Transitional Politics of Memory: Political Strategies of Managing the Past in Post-communist Romania," Europe-Asia Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 69(8), pages 1257-1279, September.
    3. Duncan Light & Remus Creţan & Andreea-Mihaela Dunca, 2021. "Museums and Transitional Justice: Assessing the Impact of a Memorial Museum on Young People in Post-Communist Romania," Societies, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-21, May.
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