Most people shrug their shoulders when they hear the term ‘sites of memory’. Sites of memory? Does that mean monuments that are meant to inspire reflection? No, sites of memory are more. A site of memory is not necessarily a tangible place. It can also be just a thought, an idea or a ritual that connects several people. It can also be a historical figure.
A Western European site of memory is Verdun, for example. No matter whom you ask, ‘Verdun’ has become a fixed term for the identity of Europeans, as probably most Europeans associate the inhuman battles of the First World War with Verdun. The memory of Verdun remains because the fabric of the continent was thrown off course here and no one wants to experience such a war ever again. Verdun therefore shapes our European identity.