Public History

Living in the era of forth Industrial Revolution has characterized as a turning point in post contemporary societies since people bring together different cultures and collective memories through searching, sharing, transferring, visualizing, querying and updating several data. Under this spectrum, digital games constructors and players constantly produce data by creating new game material or just playing. Game data and game mechanics in accordance with fun provide users a sense of the past. Even greater interaction between data and games’ mechanics are the well-known as Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) through which anyone participate and collaborate with anyone around the world. This article will clarify the origins and the meaning of Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) historical culture assuming some reflective ideas on how these games change the notion of history.

Οι επετειακές εκδηλώσεις για τον εορτασμό των 200 χρόνων από την Ελληνική Επανάσταση έχουν ήδη ξεκινήσει και οι συζητήσεις ποικίλλουν, ανάλογα με τη στοχοθεσία της εκάστοτε εκδήλωσης, τις προσλαμβάνουσες και προσδοκίες του κοινού. Γιατί, όμως, χρειάζεται η δημιουργία ενός Παρατηρητηρίου για τον εορτασμό των διακοσίων χρόνων από το 1821; Γιατί μας ενδιαφέρει να αναζητήσουμε το αφήγημα που θα ενορχηστρώσει ο κοινωνικός ιστός μέσω των εορταστικών εκδηλώσεων για την Επανάσταση του 1821; Πώς προσλαμβάνεται αυτό το αφήγημα από τον κυβερνοχώρο και ποιες θα είναι οι ψηφιακές αφηγήσεις που θα αναπτυχθούν με βάση τους εορτασμούς; Η απάντηση των προηγούμενων ερωτημάτων γίνεται κατανοητή από την εξέταση των πρακτικών που εφαρμόζει μια κοινωνία, της ιστορικής κουλτούρας που διαμορφώνεται μέσω αυτών των εμπειρικών πρακτικών και των νέων μορφών αρχείων μετα-ιστορικού που συγκροτούνται από τους χρήστες του κυβερνοχώρου (born digital content).

«Nel periodo in cui ho cominciato a lavorare alla tesi, all’inizio del 2011, il concerto con i tre Presidenti a Trieste era avvenuto da pochi mesi e il progressivo ridefinirsi delle forze nell’agone politico lasciava indovinare che la “narrazione” delle foibe sarebbe andata incontro ad un periodo di relativa quiescenza, confgurando la situazione ideale per l’inizio di un momento di riflessione quale il mio lavoro voleva costituire.
Questo libro rappresenta, attraverso una serie di correzioni, integrazioni e rielaborazioni rese possibili dalla disponibilità di alcuni esperti di storia dell’Alto Adriatico, un adattamento di quella tesi di laurea che ho discusso alla Facoltà di Sociologia dell’Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca.»

This article examines a different instance of Public History, considering newspapers articles. At the beginning of 21 st century, many historians participated in a 'public debate' about the origins of the Greek Civil War. This debate was taken place in the newspaper Ta Nea. Contrary to other reviewing examples of Public History, it happened in a well-known newspaper and the main characters were historians. Therefore, this intellectual debate is the Greek example of rewriting the History of Second World War, but it happened in public sphere. Two professors, Stathis Kalyvas and Nikos Marantzidis wrote an article, in which they self-determined as the 'New Wave' and 'post-revisionists'. Then, many historians criticized them and the debate was enlarged. What is the 'New Wave' and its characteristics? How it affects the recent literature?

CALL FOR PAPERS, Deadline 1 April 2019: Advanced technologies or ‘revolutionary’ technological systems are often deemed controversial, risky or ambivalent. Diverging interpretations clash when their places of development or use are turned into heritage sites through practices of remembrance or museumization. Understanding technological sites as “lieux de mémoire” (Pierre Nora) shifts our focus to the actors engaged in processes of remembering modern technologies, and the cases in which established narratives have been supported or challenged on local levels.

The capacity of public history to allow the democratization of access to knowledge ensures that it does not become appropriated by the power structures of ‘legitimized knowledge’: the hallowed halls of academia.[1] To that end, as the founder and project manager of the CCHP, I work with like-minded individuals to organize and host conferences, exhibits, and facilitate the donation of historical documents and photographs to the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections (CTASC), York University.

The relationship between culture and tourism has become a key element in every discussion related to the future of tourism. Cultural Tourism is perceived as a form of “good” and sustainable tourism, and its growth is recognised by experts and scholars. “Cultural Routes” of the Council of Europe are an example of cultural tourism developed in a sustainable form, but how can archaeologists be involved in this context? The aim of this paper is to analyse cultural tourism trends, underline the potentiality of Cultural Route program and describe the touristic demand related to Cultural Routes. Then, it will be illustrated the role of Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism (MiBACT) in the Cultural Routes context. Finally, it will be explained which role archaeology can play in the cultural routes field, and how archaeologists’ skills can be useful for the development of these projects.

Competenze attivate Collaborare e partecipare Sviluppare il pensiero critico e consapevole Discutere e argomentare Acquisire e interpretare l'informazione Impostare un dibattito critico IL TEMA Il 27 gennaio 1945 i sovietici entrarono nel lager di Auschwitz, in Polonia, e lo liberarono. Di lì a pochi mesi la Seconda guerra mondiale si sarebbe definitivamente conclusa ma, per far luce sullo sterminio di quasi sei milioni di ebrei nei campi nazisti-nonché sul massacro dei deportati militari e politici, degli omosessuali, dei Rom e dei Sinti e di altre categorie di civili-ci sarebbero voluti anni di studi, ricerche, raccolta di memorie e di dati. Dal 2000 il Parlamento italiano ha stabilito il Giorno della memoria per le vittime della Shoah <<al fine di ricordare la Shoah (sterminio del popolo ebraico), le leggi razziali, la persecuzione italiana dei cittadini ebrei, gli italiani che hanno subìto la deportazione, la prigionia, la morte, nonchè coloro che, anche in campi e schieramenti diversi, si sono opposti al progetto di sterminio, ed a rischio della propria vita hanno salvato altre vite e protetto i perseguitati>>. Nel 2005, anche l'Onu, con la risoluzione 60/7, ha istituito la Giornata internazionale di commemorazione in memoria delle vittime dell'Olocausto, riaffermando il rifiuto di <<qualsiasi negazione dell'Olocausto come evento storico, in toto o in parte>>. Il ricordo delle persecuzioni e dello sterminio del popolo ebraico è divenuto oggi un momento per riflettere pubblicamente, e non solo fra gli storici, sull'enorme portata degli eventi che si verificarono fra gli anni trenta e quaranta del Novecento, ma negli ultimi anni, la discussione sulla Shoah non è sempre stata seria e puntuale, come ci ricorda la storica Valentina Pisanty evidenziando una varietà di "usi impropri" della memoria, fra banalizzazione e negazionismo, da un lato, e "sacralizzazione", dall'altro. DEBATE Perché ricordare?

Last year was the 30th anniversary of the Cultural Routes of Council of Europe. It is interesting to notice that some of these cultural itineraries refers to important medieval pilgrimage routes: for instance, it is the case of “St. James’ Way” and the “Via Francigena”. Both itineraries have known a growth in the number of tourists during the last years. Their success is due to two main aspects: firstly, they are slow-tourism products, different from the mass-tourism ones; secondly, they are presented to the public as an authentic experience, strictly connected to the one lived by the medieval pilgrims centuries ago. In my paper, I would like to explain why it is not possible to assimilate the medieval pilgrims with the modern tourists, and in which way these cultural and touristic projects use the Middle Ages as an element of attraction for tourists. In fact, while for a medieval man the pilgrimage was a journey undertaken mainly for religious motivations, a modern tourist decides to set out for different reasons, like the desire of escaping from the daily routine or the opportunity of visiting cultural heritage sites. Furthermore, the idea of reconnecting modern tourists with medieval pilgrims, and the importance of the authenticity of these experiences, seem to suppose a clear dichotomy: the fast modern world is opposed to the quieter and peaceful medieval period, a time when it was possible to face a long journey on foot in order to visit important sanctuaries and churches.

CALL FOR PAPERS, Deadline 1 April 2019: Advanced technologies or ‘revolutionary’ technological systems are often deemed controversial, risky or ambivalent. Diverging interpretations clash when their places of development or use are turned into heritage sites through practices of remembrance or museumization. Understanding technological sites as “lieux de mémoire” (Pierre Nora) shifts our focus to the actors engaged in processes of remembering modern technologies, and the cases in which established narratives have been supported or challenged on local levels.

Public archaeology jest jednocześnie metodą działania i koncepcją teoretyczną funkcjonującą w szerokim zakresie kontekstów społecznych i akademickich. W ścisłej relacji z szerzej rozumianą domeną public archaeology można też sytuować „archeologię drugiego stopnia” lub „archeologię materii reaktywowanej”, której przedmiotem nie jest umiejscawianie zabytków w procesie uzasadniania wiedzy na temat przeszłości, lecz odwoływanie się do nich celem zrozumienia, jaki mają one wpływ na specyfikę imaginarium społecznego, na wartość „przeszłości” (we) współczesności, na status społeczny wiedzy archeologicznej, a także na dążenie do lepszego zrozumienia sposobów funkcjonowania wiedzy w przestrzeni pozaakademickiej (...). Są co najmniej trzy powody, dla których w kontekście polskiej archeologii zamiast dosłownego tłumaczenia public archaeology zasadne jest stosowanie pojęć typu „archeologia prospołeczna”, „archeologia uspołeczniona” lub „archeologia w społeczeństwie”. które zostały omówione w r. (...).
Z polskiej perspektywy, o istotności archeologii prospołecznej i uspołecznionej decyduje w istotnej mierze fakt, że jest ona coraz częściej postrzegana jako niezbywalna i pomocna w unaocznianiu znaczenia i złożoności podlegającego ciągłej przemianie (!) materialnego wymiaru wieloczasowych (palimpsestowych) zespoleń ludzi, miejsc i rzeczy, które warte są rozpoznawania we współczesności. Poprzez refleksyjne roz-poznawanie otaczającej nas rzeczywistości, następuje wspólnotowe ko-kreowanie wyobrażeń o przeszłości, również tej nieodległej w czasie, wymagającej społecznego przepracowania, trudnej i dotychczas nie(do)powiedzianej - jak np. w przypadku wielu wydarzeń wojennych, w tym użycia broni chemicznej na ziemiach polskich w 1915, czy mordów dokonanych w latach 1944–1956 – których ślady materialne były często celowo zacierane. Dalsza aktywność w polu public archaeology w Polsce może mieć pozytywny, afirmatywny wpływ na teraźniejszość i na przyszłość relacji społecznych. Może także sprzyjać wzmacnianiu w pełni humanistycznych nauk o przeszłości, tj. takich które cechuje dążenie już nie tylko do „obiektywności” i odkryć wartościowych poznawczo, ale także dążenie do solidarności (społecznej i wielogatunkowej) i do stymulowania procesów wartościowych społecznie.