Geschichtsschreibung und Vergangenheitsbewältigung in Rumänien. Von den Mühen des Umgangs mit zeitgeschichtlichen Themen
Historiography and Coming to Terms with the Past in Romania. About the Travails of Dealing with Subjects of Contemporary History

Summary/Abstract: The quality of contemporary Romanian historiography has improved substantially in the last decade. This is due especially to detailed studies based on newly accessible archival sources. As the present article shows, however, many myths dating back to the communist historiography still prevail in public discourse and even in professional historiography. In order to examine the state of Romanian historiography, this article reviews the 9th volume of the Romanian Academy’s voluminous history, dealing with the period from 1940‒1947 – the years of the Second World War and the communist regime’s rise to power. The article argues that the volume continues an outdated, often nationalistic historiographical discourse. It ignores important aspects of recent research on the history of Romania during World War Two and the early postwar years.

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