From "milieu de mémoire" to "lieu de mémoire". Istanbul, Izmir and Athens as strongholds of transcultural societies in the 20th century

From "milieu de mémoire" to "lieu de mémoire". Istanbul, Izmir and Athens as strongholds of transcultural societies in the 20th century

Organizer
Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Inst. f. Geschichte/Südosteuropäische Geschichte Univ.Prof. Drr.h.c. Harald Heppner Dr. Ulrike Tischler
Venue
Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Universitätsplatz 3, Hauptgebäude 1.Stk. SZ 01.18 (Neuer Senatssaal)
Location
Graz
Country
Austria
From - Until
09.06.2005 - 11.06.2005
Website
By
Ulrike Tischler

The conference is based on central questions within the framework of the FWF research project "The Pera Society of Istanbul 1918/23 to date". The conference consists of three units: Based on P. Nora's French play on words "milieu de mémoire" and "lieu de mémoire" in the first unit we will enter the central idea of the conference from a comparative approach to concrete urban centers in the Mediterranean understood as places containig concrete carriers of memory. By analyzing the historical development of Istanbul/Constantinople (Galata and Pera) and Izmir/Smyrna as strongholds of transcultural societies in the Mediterranean area we will filter out some characteristics that are symptomatic of the emergence of "milieux de mémoire". The second unit will attend to the developments of the (authetic) places ("milieux de mémoire") in the course of the 20th century, focusing on the discontinuities (traumata such as expulsion, deportation, labor camps, expropriation, ...) that is on the transformation process from "milieu" to "lieu de mémoire", understood as the turn into a stylish memorial site for visitors. Documented by collected oral and video data, individual case studies will be presented. The third unit, finally, stresses on the recent discussion on Turkey's access to the EU and in how far Greeks and Turks come to terms with their (transnational, common) past. By including audiovisual sources the workshop as a whole does justice to the recent trends of "visual-" and "spatial turn" and of "iconic criticism".

Programm

Thursday, June 9, 2005, 9:00-12.45 (morning session)
9:00-9:30 Welcoming speech
R. Maierhofer (Graz)
H. Heppner (Graz)

"Milieux de mémoire"
Chair: J. Strauss (Strasbourg)
E. Eldem (Istanbul): Galata

U. Tischler (Graz): Back to the roots. Signposts to Pera as "milieu de mémoire"

M. Warlas/ Y. Karachristos (Athens): Stillborn Smyrna: Izmir as the lost past of the Greek Refugees of 1922

Coffee break

S. Akgönül (Strasbourg): Continuités et ruptures dans l'histoire des Grecs d'Istanbul

R. Bali (Istanbul):The alternative way to come to terms with the past. - Those who try to forget: The Jewish minority
Discussion

Lunch break

14:30-17:00 (afternoon session)
Cultural sciences approaches to the "milieux de mémoire"
Chair: U. Tischler (Graz)

14:30-15:00
U. Tischler (Graz): Cultural sciences approaches to the Athenian diaspora seen as artificial "milieu de mémoire"

15:00-15:30
J. Feichtinger (Vienna): What impact may cultural studies have on the analysis of cultural diversity in Southeastern Europe?

Coffee break

16:00-17:00
Discussion with F. Adanir (Bochum), J. Strauss (Strasbourg) and M. Solakhan (Berlin): Intercultural contacts versus intercultural exchange. The reality of cosmopolitanism in (Ottoman) urban centers

18:30 Evening programs

Friday, June 10, 2005, 9:00-12:30 (morning session)
Memory, counter-memory and "lieux de mémoire"
Chair: F. Adanir (Bochum)
K. Schmidlechner (Graz): Contemporary reflections on oral history

A. Nomikou (Athens): Analyzing the life-story of a "repatriated" immigrant. Some issues in the theory and practice of oral history

U. Tischler (Graz): The Perotes' memories and counter-memories as a mirror of a transnational past
Discussion

Coffee break

E. Eldem (Istanbul): Galata. The memories of the businessmen of Bankalar Caddesi (oral and video history)

S. Akgönül (Strasbourg):Que pensent les Grecs eux-mêmes? Analyse d'une auto-perception
Discussion

Lunch break

14:00-16:45 (afternoon session)
Interviews as memory storage: archiving and analysis
Chair: K. Schmidlechner (Graz)
M. Warlas/Y. Karachristos (Athens): The "unspoken" Smyrna. The reminiscences of Greek and Levantine Refugees

P. Teibenbacher (Graz): The Oral History Archives (OHA-WISOG Graz), Dept. of Economic, Social and Business History/KF University Graz

A. Nomikou (Athens): The Oral History Archives of the Kendro Mikrasiatikon Spoudon, Athens

Coffee break

M. Warlas (Athens): Video-Oral History Project of the Foundation of the Hellenic World, "Testimonies of Greek Asia MInor Refugees"
Discussion

19:30 Reception at the invitation of the Mayor of the City of Graz (City Hall)

Saturday, June 11, 2005, 9:30-12:00 (morning session)
Turkey's historical heritage and the EU
Chair: K. Taylor (Graz)
S. Dogan/K. Tomenendal (Vienna): The adoption and reception on non-Muslim minorities in Istanbul in Turkish historiography with a special emphasis on Turkey's planned access to the EU

U. Tischler (Graz)/M. Warlas (Athens): THe "visual turn" in contemporary memory culture. Iconic criticism - the power and significance of images. Istanbul and Izmir as "lieux de mémoire" in audiovisual and illustrative media.

Coffee break
Discussion and closing remarks

Lunch break

14:00-16:30 Guided tour through the historical center of Graz with special emphasis on intercultural sites

Contact (announcement)

Ulrike Tischler

Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz
Inst. f. Geschichte/Südosteuropäische Geschichte

fax:++43/316/380-9735
ulrike.tischler@uni-graz.at


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Published on
02.05.2005
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