Page 490 - Le Operazioni Interforze e Multinazionali nella Storia Militare - ACTA Tomo II

1130 XXXIX Congresso della CommIssIone InternazIonale dI storIa mIlItare • CIHm

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generations as a quasi in body stored memory. Such a conception of collective memory
is definitely not meant.
Already in the ninety twenties Maurice Halbwachs developed the concept of a col-
lective memory as a social memory – precisely in contradiction to the idea of a biolo-
9
gistical or genetic reproduced collective memory like the idea of a racial memory. The
essential element in Halbwachs’ conception of a collective memory is its social charac-
ter. It is generated by social interaction and communication, by exchange of media and
institutions, within a social group or a plurality of social groups.
Considering the plurality and multiplicity of societies, cultures and civilisations it
is quite evident, that a collective memory cannot be described as a well-defined entity.
There can exist a plurality of shared memories within a specific group; a collective
memory can change its nature - collective memories are fluid; a collective memory can
be divided in itself - collective memories are not homogeneous but heterogeneous.
However collective memories are substantial to create collective identities. They
build a reservoir of historical topics which can be arranged in varying compositions to
different conceptions of history. Guy Marchal called this procedure an “imagological
bricolage”. As a result of this bricolage myths of history arise, which are not arranged
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in the same category of thinking as descriptions of a critical academic historiography.
The historical topics of the bricolage can be interpreted and reinterpreted. They serve as
a basis for self-descriptions or self-characterisations of a social group and as a proposal
for its future. Hence, these imaginations can be used as political instruments. In this ef-
fect collective memories must be seen as a dispositive of power. 11

8 Such concepts were most prominent theorized by Jean Baptiste de Lamarck. In a metaphysical manner they were
adopted in the speech of major general André Liaudat, commander of the Gebirgsdivision 10, who postulated
a collective soul (“l’âme collective”) or by brigadier Jacques Saucy, who mentioned certain fundamental
virtues which were – as a sort of Jungian archetypes – anchored deeply in the soul of the citizens. („Des valeurs
fondamentales, ancrées depuis des siècles au plus profond des citoyens de ce pays, étaient alors menacées.
Je veux dire les libertés, la liberté.”) Speeches held in Porrentruy (11.08.1989) and Fribourg (20.08.1989).
In: Schweizerisches Bundesarchiv, Akten der Abteilung Mobilmachung. Bürgin, Die Diamantreden, 55.
For an excellent critique to Lamarckian and Jungian concepts of inheritable memories see: Yerushalmi, Yosef
Hayim, Zachor! Erinnere Dich! Jüdische Geschichte und jüdisches Gedächtnis, Berlin, 1996, 11. Further
reading: Yerushalmi, Yosef Hayim, Freuds Moses: Endliches und unendliches Judentum, Berlin, 1992.
Assmann, Jan, Was ist das „kulturelle Gedächtnis“? in: Ders., Religion und kulturelles Gedächtnis, München,
2007 (2000), 11-44, especially page 40.
9 Halbwachs, Maurice, On collective memory, Chicago, 1992 (1925).
10 Marchal, Guy, Das Schweizeralpenland: Eine imagologische Bastelei, in: Marchal, Guy, Mattioli, Aram
(Hrsg.): Erfundene Schweiz: Konstruktion nationaler Identität, Zürich, 1992, S. 37-49. Marchal, Guy,
Schweizer Gebrauchsgeschichte, Basel, 2006.
11 Foucault, Archäologie des Wissens, Frankfurt am Main, 1981, especially pages 33-74 and S. 113-115. For
the legitimation or delegitimation of power through memory compare the concepts of “Speichergedächtnis”
and “Funktionsgedächntis” by Aleida Assmann: Assmann, Erinnerungsräume: Formen und Wandlungen
des kulturellen Gedächtnisses, München, 1999. For a characterisation of conflicts and frictions between
opposing collective memories see the paradigmatic essay by Gerd Theissen: Theissen, Gerd, Tradition und
Entscheidung: Der Beitrag des biblischen Glaubens zum kulturellen Gedächtnis, in: Assmann, Jan, Hölscher,
Tonio (Hrsg.): Kultur und Gedächtnis, Frankfurt am Main, 1988, 170-198.