Memory and Identity on the Greek–Bulgarian Border

Abstract:

This paper explores the relation between memory and national identity. It is based on the hypothesis of whether—and to what degree—local memory, the cultural identity of a region as expressed by collective memory, serves the constitution of national identity or is a threat to the materialization of this objective, because of its cultural ‘polyphony’ and different discourse. In order to investigate these questions, research focused on the village of Petrota in northern Evros, Greece, and its relation with the village of Malko Gradishte, on the other side of the Greek–Bulgarian border. The relations and the manner of their representation by the inhabitants, before and after the 1940s, when Bulgaria joined the communist camp, are discussed. The paper underlines the importance of collective memory for understanding official histories and identities.