Deconstructing commemorative narratives: the anniversaries of the fall of the Berlin Wall

ABSTRACT

Historically, researchers have studied commemorative events primarily for their political role in the (re)construction of contested national collective memories and identities, but globalisation, social justice movements, multiculturalism and regionalism forces are further transforming commemorative practices in the 21^st century. This study adopts the semiotic paradigm to deconstruct commemorative narratives communicated during major anniversary celebrations of the fall of the Berlin Wall. In doing so, this paper evidences how interwoven signs in these commemorative events construct multi-layered narratives of transnational collective memory and identity based on shared values that transcend the political boundaries of the nation. The study further showcases how shifting political contexts influence commemorative narratives, whilst at the same time commemorative events may increasingly be designed to appeal to a broader, global audience as leisure phenomena of transnational significance.

KEYWORDS:

• Commemorative events
• commemorative narratives
• memory
• identity
• semiotics
• Berlin wall

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. A movement stemming from South Africa that was originally aimed at a statue commemorating colonialist Cecil Rhodes which later developed into a campaign to decolonise education in South Africa and abroad.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Maren Viol

Maren Viol is currently a Senior Lecturer and the Discipline Lead for Tourism and Hospitality at British University Vietnam. Maren gained her PhD from Edinburgh Napier University in the UK in 2016. Since then, she has taught on tourism, hospitality and events management courses in the UK and Vietnam and has held programme leadership roles at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Her research interests include commemoration, memory studies, semiotics, tourism education and sustainable tourism. Maren has published her research in academic journals and book chapters and presented at international conferences.

Constantia Anastasiadou

Constantia Anastasiadou is a Reader in Tourism at Edinburgh Napier University and the Research Lead for Tourism in the Tourism and Languages Group. Her research interests intersect the mediation of technology for sustainable tourism experiences and destination governance, policy, and planning, with current research focusing on cultural tourism, heritage, and European identity.

Louise Todd

Louise Todd is an Associate Professor of Festival and Event Management at Edinburgh Napier University and a Deputy Lead of the Tourism Research Centre (TRC). Louise is the Visual Methods and Ethnography (VM&E) Research Group Lead and Public Engagement Lead for Edinburgh Napier’s Business School. As an interdisciplinary researcher, Louise’s research interests lie in arts and cultural tourism, and festivals. She is concerned with stakeholder and community engagement, visual culture, visual and creative research methods, and art and design, in these settings. Louise’s background is in visual art. Her art practice and research interests are complementary and inform one another. In her research, Louise is particularly interested in the critical potential of festivals and tourism to engage with different groups of stakeholders in the city and beyond. Louise has published her research in academic journals and book chapters and presented at international conferences.

Eleni Theodoraki

Eleni Theodoraki is Professor of Sport Management in UCD’s School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science. Between 1986-1990 she pursued undergraduate studies in Physical Education, Sport Sciences and Sport Management in her native Greece and in 1996 she completed her PhD at Loughborough University, UK. Her subsequent academic career includes lectureships at De Montfort University 1995-1996, Loughborough University 1996-2008 and an associate professorship at Edinburgh Napier University 2008-2020. Eleni served as commissioner in the Commission for a Sustainable London 2012 and currently serves as expert at the European Commission and UNESCO.