The creation of collective memory and identity of the local community in Lower Spiš (unterzips)

Abstract

The study examines the role of heritage books [Heimatbücher], which preserve the memories and specific historical narratives of forcibly displaced Carpathian Germans from Lower Spiš, in shaping the collective memory and identity of the local community in one of their former villages. Based on the
cultural memory theory of Jan and Aleida Assmann (2001; 2006) and ethnographic
research conducted in 2020, the preliminary findings suggest that the
contents of these books are purposively selected with the intention of memorializing founding and biographical memories, thus supporting the persistence of group identity and historical awareness among the local population. Furthermore, heritage books not only inspire residents to document and explore local cultural heritage but also reinforce the community's identity, which faced assimilation pressures under socialist Czechoslovakia in the latter half of the 20th century.