From Antiquities to Heritage Transformations of Cultural Memory [Hardcover]

Eighteenth-century gentleman scholars collected antiquities. Nineteenth-century nation states built museums to preserve their historical monuments. In the present world, heritage is a global concern as well as an issue of identity politics. What does it mean when runic stones or medieval churches are transformed from antiquities to monuments to heritage sites? This book argues that the transformations concern more than words alone: They reflect fundamental changes in the way we experience the past, and the way historical objects are assigned meaning and value in the present. This book presents a series of cases from Norwegian culture to explore how historical objects and sites have changed in meaning over time. It contributes to the contemporary debates over collective memory and cultural heritage as well to our knowledge about early modern antiquarianism.

Anne Eriksenis a Professor in Cultural History at the University of Oslo, Norway, and an expert on collective memory and forms of historical knowledge. Among her recent publications areNegotiating Pasts in the Nordic Countries(ed. with. J.V. Sigurdsson, 2009) andMuseum. En kulturhistorie(2009).

Acknowledgements

Introduction

• Research Questions and Perspectives
• Between Heritage Studies and Antiquarianism
• The Scope and Content of the Book

Chapter 1. Heritage and Cultural Memory

• Regimes of Historicity
• The Cult of Monuments

Chapter 2. In Search of Ancient Heroes

• Topographies and the Space of Experience
• Whats in a Name?
• The Implications of Space
• Hallingdal and Thrace
• A Familiar Realm

Chapter 3. Antiquarianism and Epistemic Virtue

• Facts from Stones
• From Mortar to Grammar
• EpistemiclC$