Sanctifying Suffering: Memory Culture in the Post-Heroic Era

Lecture by Dr Markus Meckl
Organized by the Institute of European Studies

Monday, October 13
15:00
Room 23, Institute of Political Science

Bio
Dr Markus Meckl is a historian and memory studies scholar whose research focuses on commemorative practices, national identity, and the cultural shift from heroism to victimhood in European societies. He earned his PhD with a dissertation on the reception of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and has since published widely on memory politics of remembrance. After his doctoral studies, he held his first academic position in Riga, Latvia, and since 2004 he has been teaching at the University of Akureyri.

Abstract
Sanctifying Suffering: Memory Culture in the Post-Heroic Era
In many Western countries, public memory has shifted: we used to honor heroes for brave actions; now we more often honor victims for their suffering. This talk examines the emergence of the “post-heroic society” — a cultural condition in which victimhood, rather than heroism, has become the central mode of moral legitimacy and public recognition. Drawing on examples from memorial architecture, political rhetoric, social movements, and especially Holocaust remembrance, the talk explores how victimhood has come to function as a form of moral capital and reflects on the consequences of this shift for society.

Don’t miss the opportunity to join this inspiring talk!