Memories of Asia Minor in Contemporary Greek Culture : An Itinerary

"The Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922) in Asia Minor and the Population Exchange that followed led to the forced displacement of more than 1.5 million people who became entangled in the nation-building processes of both Greece and Turkey. This book examines the memories that shaped Asia Minor refugee identity, focusing on the ways in which these memories continue to reverberate in contemporary Greek culture. It explores how memories of Asia Minor frame wider social debates, foster affective alliances, inform different notions of belonging and provide a toolkit for addressing contemporary concerns. Taking the reader across a wide range of cultural works-history textbooks, comics, theatre, documentary and fiction films, news footage and photography-the book shows how these works have become means for individuals and communities to contribute to the process of history-making. While keeping its focus on present-day Greece, Memories of Asia Minor joins wider global debates over contested pasts, legacies of war and refugeehood." -- Back cover Acknowledgements 7 Contents 11 List of Figures 14 Chapter 1: Memory Work and History in the Making 16 1.1 Cultural Form: Notes from the 1930s 17 1.2 Finding a Place in History: Notes from the 1960s 19 1.3 From Cultural Heritage to Inheritance: Notes from the 1990s 21 1.4 The Stories that Are Yet to Be Told: Notes from the 2010s 23 1.5 The Structure of this Book 25 References 29 Chapter 2: An Introduction to the Histories and Legacies of the Greco-Turkish War and the Memory Studies Toolbox 31 2.1 Historical Background 36 2.2 Cultural Legacies 42 2.3 Memory Studies as Methodological Framework 49 2.3.1 From Collective to Cultural Memory 49 2.3.2 From Memory to Postmemory 51 2.3.3 Visual Memory and Affective Connections 55 References 60 Chapter 3: Affective Alliances in the Greek History Wars 69 3.1 Everyday Encounters: Asia Minor between Memory and History 69 3.2 History as Building Block for a Nation 71 3.3 Chronicle of a History War: Actors, Arguments, Affects 76 3.4 The Multi-Vocal Public Sphere 82 3.5 Mnemonic Itineraries 93 3.6 Conclusion 100 References 102 Chapter 4: Fragmented Pasts, Postmemory and the ‘Grandchildren of Lausanne’ 109 4.1 The Journey of Return 109 4.2 Graphic Novel, Literary Canon, (Counter-)History 114 4.3 Through the Mirror Maze of Soloup’s Aivali 116 4.4 Mnemonic Itineraries: Once Again 134 4.5 Conclusion 141 References 143 Chapter 5: Smyrna in Your Pocket 148 5.1 In Response to the History Textbook Controversy 148 5.2 Smyrna as Portable Monument 154 5.3 Affect, Emotion and Historical Truth 158 5.4 Witnessing the Greco-Turkish War ‘In and through Time’ 173 5.5 Conclusion 182 References 183 Chapter 6: Framing the Futures of Memory 187 6.1 Notes from the Field, September 2015 189 6.2 Lesvos: Framing Solidarity, Empathy and Identification 192 6.3 Locating Memory in the Frames of Media Witnessing 197 6.3.1 The Three Grannies of Lesvos and the ‘Image of the Europe that We Want’: Empathy as Identification Reconsidered 197 6.3.2 Comparison and/as Relationality: Crete, Eidomeni 202 6.3.3 ‘We Are All Refugees’: Particularising the Universal 205 6.4 Connective Memories 210 6.5 Conclusion 217 References 220 Chapter 7: Epilogue 227 References 233 Appendix of Primary Sources 234 Novels and Memoirs 234 Comics and Graphic Novels 235 Films, Documentaries, TV Series 236 Theatre 237 Exhibitions, Museums, Artworks 237 Archival Material and Other Primary Sources 238 School History Textbooks 238 Index 239