The European Heritage from a Critical Cosmopolitan Perspective

Abstract

The question of the European cultural heritage and the wider historical legacy of Europe has been the subject of much discussion in recent years as is reflected in new approaches to memory and commemoration, values, and European identity. Unlike earlier histories, which generally contained a 'grand narrative,' new histories of Europe are now generally more cautious in their assumptions about a continuity or a narrative based on the advancement of civilization. The general trend is towards a greater recognition of rupture, which must be measured against continuity, a unity in diversity and a certain problematization of the received values of tradition. This paper looks at various models for theorizing the European heritage in the wake of the end of the Grand Narrative accounts and makes the case for a critical cosmopolitan approach.

The concept of European public sphere within the European public discourse

“…Both European identity and European values are grand narratives that transcend the plurality of Europe (Delanty 2010). 'By improving debate and dialogue between institutions and citizens, the Commission is still trying to develop a new kind of democratic imagined community in which governing takes place in a dialogic environment and in the context of a new demos' (Bee 2008: 437).…”

European Identity and Citizenship

“…Defi nitions of European identity, European values, and the European public sphere may be perceived as grand narratives. Both European identity and European values are grand narratives that transcend the plurality of Europe (Delanty 2010 ). 'By improving debate and dialogue between institutions and citizens, the Commission is still trying to develop a new kind of democratic imagined community in which governing takes place in a dialogic environment and in the context of a new demos' (Bee 2008 , p. 437).…”

Towards a Shared Understanding of the Concept of Heritage in the European Context

“…Conceptualising cultural heritage globally and in Europe has become more multifaceted and sophisticated throughout the years, with the concept of heritage holding multiple meanings, depending on different sets of values [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. Despite the complexity of the concept, it is still possible to identify similarities in the various approaches to heritage protection across Europe.…”

“…The elaboration of concepts discussed in this paper use documents and publications at an international and state level. Acknowledging the varied complex definitions of Europe [4,6,9] and taking into consideration the policy discourse central to this paper, Europe is defined here as membership to the European Union, although this is still acknowledged as a variable criterion for the cases discussed here. This paper is divided into four broad sections.…”