National self-criticism as a processing of the past: Memory politics in East Central European literature and film
National self-criticism as a processing of the past: Memory politics in East Central European literature and film

Summary/Abstract: In post-communist Central European countries the interpretation of the past is still oftengenerated by myths, self-pity, martyrdom, and the denial of one’ s own fault. Vergangenheitsbewältigung,a conscious, critical examination of the historical past, which is present inGerman language and literature, is almost absent in Hungarian, Slovak, Polish and Czechpolitics, culture, literature and films. The present study deals with cultural and political strategies,applied in films and literary texts of V4 countries, which critically process taboos,related to the national past. The study examines the issue of the historical self-criticism inPolish, Czech (Josef Urban’ s novels Habermannův mlýn – Habermann’ s Mill, 2001 and 7 dníhríchů – The 7 Days of Sin, 2012 and their film adaptations directed by Juraj Herz and JiříChlumský) and Hungarian (Tibor Cseres’ s novel Hideg napok – Cold Days, 1964 and its 1966film adaptation directed by András Kovács) literature and films.

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