Legacies of Occupation: Heritage, Memory and Archaeology in the Channel Islands (Contributions To Global Historical Archaeology Book 40)

This book explores the way in which the legacy of the German occupation of the Channel Islands has been turned into heritage (or, conversely, neglected) over the last 70 years. Once seen as the ‘taint of the mark of the beast’, the perception of much of what the Germans left behind has slowly changed from being despised and reviled, buried underground or dumped at sea, to being reclaimed, restored, highly valued and treated as ‘heritage’. This book examines the journey of various aspects of this heritage, exploring the role of each post-war generation in picking at the scar of occupation, refusing to let it heal or fade. By discovering and interpreting anew their once-hated legacy, each generation of Channel Islanders has changed the resulting collective memory of a period which is rapidly moving to the edge of living memory. It includes the first in-depth investigation into the multiple aspects of heritage of occupation of a single place and will offer comparative material for other heritage professionals who work with similar material throughout Europe and in other post-occupation areas. It will explore the complex ethical issues faced by anyone who works with the legacy or heritage of Nazism, seeking to understand how and why the Channel Islands have responded in the way that they have and asking how unique – or typical for formerly-occupied Europe - their response has been. Acknowledgments 6 Contents 9 Author Biography 12 Abbreviations 13 1 Legacies of Occupation 15 Introduction 15 Sites of Memory, Sites of Occupation 21 The Transition from Legacy to Heritage 26 Structure and Themes 30 References 32 2 Militaria: Collecting the Debris of War 34 Introduction 35 The Birth of an Obsession: The History of Collecting in the Channel Islands 41 Phase 1: Militaria as Pilfered Booty 41 Phase 2: Militaria as Souvenir 43 Phase 3: Militaria as Serious Collection 55 Phase 4: Collecting as an Investment/Currency 59 The War-Youth Generation: Collecting as a Coping Mechanism 61 The First and Second Post-war Generation: Objects, Stories and Collecting as Nostalgia 62 Objects and Stories 63 The Social Life of German Militaria 69 Occupation Museums, Nostalgia and Memory 75 Display, Design, Poetry and Authenticity 76 Typology 79 Morality, Ethics and the Collection and Display of German Militaria 84 Museums as Sites and Creations of Nostalgic Memory 89 Conclusion 92 References 93 3 Bunkers: Edifices of Abomination or Heritage Sites? 96 Introduction: The Atlantic Wall 97 Bunkers in the Channel Islands 101 The Atlantic Wall in the Channel Islands, 1941 to Present 105 Phase 1: Erasure: 1945--1953 106 Phase 2: Amnesia and Disguise: 1950s--1970s 108 Phase 3: Rehabilitation and Restoration: 1977 to Present 112 Phase 4: Contestation and Memorialisation: 1998 to Present 120 Generations of People, Biographies of Bunkers 127 The Life Cycle of Bunkers 132 Explaining the Oddities of Bunker Restoration in the Channel Islands 134 Restoration as a Symbol of Pride 134 Restoration as Intervention in Forgetting 135 Restoration as Nostalgia 137 Restoration as Therapeutic Healing 139 Restoration as Marginalisation of Victims 141 Dealing with Difficult Heritage 142 Conclusion: Acknowledging an Uncomfortable Past 146 References 151 4 Labour Camps: Forgotten Sites or Sites of Deliberate Amnesia? 154 Introduction 154 The OT in the Channel Islands 156 OT Heritage in the Channel Islands 157 Restored Fortifications 160 Museums 161 Memorials 164 OT Camp Sites 169 Why are OT Camps Still Neglected? 172 OT Camps as a Dark Legacy 179 Strategies for the Future of OT Camps 185 The Power of Controversial Strategies 185 The Value of Excavation and Memorialisation 188 Identifying Communities and Stakeholders 190 Benefits and Compromise Positions 194 The Production of Narratives 196 The Future for OT Camp Sites 197 Conclusion: Intervention, Activism and Provocative Heritage 199 References 201 5 The Politics of Memory on Liberation Day 206 Introduction: Commemoration and Memory in the Channel Islands 206 Analysing Liberation Day, 1946 to the Present 211 The First Liberation Day, 1945 214 Phase 1: 1946--1949: Master Commemorative Narrative: Military Victory, Patriotism and the War Dead 218 Phase 2: The 1950s and 1960s: Master Commemorative Narrative: Collective Amnesia 226 Phase 3: 1970--1984: Master Commemorative Narrative: Remembering and Reliving the Occupation 228 Phase 4: 1985 to Present: Master Commemorative Narrative: Liberation 233 Liberation Day Today and Tomorrow 239 Conclusion: The Politics of Memory on Liberation Day 245 References 249 6 Interpreting Memorial Landscapes of Occupation and Liberation 251 Occupation Memorials in the Channel Islands 252 Memory Boom and Memorialscapes 253 Charting the Memorialscape 255 Historical Background to the Victim Groups of the Occupation 258 Remembering the Occupation and Building the Memorialscape 261 Location, Marginality and Intentionality 276 Memorial Unveilers and Memorial Texts: Enforcing or Changing the Authorised Heritage Discourse 279 Different Islands, Different Responses 285 Narratives of War in Alderney 286 Conclusion: A Changing Memorialscape 290 References 291 7 Conclusion 293 Heritage, Identity and Generations 293 The Role of Generations in Occupation Heritage 294 The Evolution of Occupation Heritage 298 The Organic Evolution of the Occupationscape 301 The Construction of Identity Through Heritage 304 References 307 Index 308 Front Matter....Pages i-xix Legacies of Occupation....Pages 1-19 Militaria: Collecting the Debris of War....Pages 21-82 Bunkers: Edifices of Abomination or Heritage Sites?....Pages 83-140 Labour Camps: Forgotten Sites or Sites of Deliberate Amnesia?....Pages 141-192 The Politics of Memory on Liberation Day....Pages 193-237 Interpreting Memorial Landscapes of Occupation and Liberation....Pages 239-280 Conclusion....Pages 281-295 Back Matter....Pages 297-300