How Can Remembrance Succeed in a Pluralistic Society?

In front of a wall of books, a woman sits next to people on a podium and speaks into a microphone.

TraCe event on the future of remembrance at the Literaturhaus Frankfurt

How can collective violence be remembered in an open, pluralistic society? What forms of remembrance are needed in times of global upheaval, and how can the practice of re­membrance be shaped for the future? These questions were addressed at the July 8, 2025, evening event, “The Future of Remembrance,” at the Literatur­haus Frankfurt, which included a book presentation and subsequent panel discussion and organized by the Research Center Transformations of Political Violence (TraCe).

To kick things off, co-editor Michael Podgorac and author Frida Robles presented the anthology “Erinnern in Zukunft: Calls for Plural Remembrance” (Vienna: Mandelbaum Verlag, March 2025). The book’s diverse array of academic, artistic, and activist con­tributors interpret remembrance not as a monolithic practice, but as a dynamic and multi­faceted political act. They contend for a remembrance that is inclusive, em­bracing a multitude of voices and perspectives. 

As part of the book launch, Podgorac presented the “Bunker 16 - Initiative Erinnern in Zukunft” project. The project aims to open an air-raid shelter from World War II under Yppen­platz in Vienna as an open place of remembrance and encounter for urban society. He set the stage for the audience’s en­gagement with the topic and discussion by screening two short films. One film fo­cused on the significance of the bunker in relation to contemporary Vienna, while the other centered on the events in Srebrenica and the arrest of Ratko Mladić. Frida Robles then read her contribution, "Call #9," from the anthology. 

The subsequent panel discussion, moderated by Jannik Pfister, delved deeper into the question of plural forms of remembrance. Con­sisting of Susanne Buckley-Zistel (Marburg University/TraCe), Saba-Nur Cheema (Goethe University Frankfurt and former head of the Political Education department at the Anne Frank Educational Center), PRIF Guest Professor A. Dirk Moses (City College of New York, CUNY), Anne Wiederhold-Daryanavard (co-editor and curator of Erinnern in Zukunft, Brunnenpassage Vienna), and Oliver von Wrochem (director of the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial), the panel first examined the roles of civil society and the state. While some panelists criti­cized the state's role in remembrance, others emphasized the complex tension between the two: Remem­brance initiatives originate from civil society “from below,” but have the potential to receive state funding. There was particular dis­cussion about how pluralistic remembrance can foster solidarity among various victim groups. Remembrance was viewed as a uni­fying factor rather than a competing one. 

Considering the growing threat of right-wing extremism, the panel emphasized the im­portance of resilient places of remembrance. In times of crisis especially, the lived practice of remembrance can play a key role in strengthening demo­cratic and pluralistic societies. 

The concluding reception provided an opportunity for the approximately 70 guests from academia, remembrance practices, and civil society to engage in in-depth discussions and networking.

Over the heads of the audience, you can see a wall of books and a man with a microphone and presentation cards.
Four people are sitting on a podium in a room full of books. In the front section of the picture, you look over the heads of the audience onto the podium.
Over the heads of the audience, you can see a wall of books and a woman with a microphone and paper from which she reads aloud.
A bald man with glasses sits in the center of the picture past a row of people and speaks into a microphone. He is sitting on a podium in front of a wall of books.
A woman sits on a podium and speaks into a microphone.