THE SYMBOLIC POTENTIAL OF THE PAST: POLITICAL CRISES, MEMORY POLITICS, AND EUROPEANIZATION IN SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE—THE CASE OF NORTH MACEDONIA
Authors:   , Volchevska-Verbrugge Biljana Volchevska Verbrugge 
Published: November 2024

This dissertation explores the intersections between heritage production, memory narratives, and socio-political dynamics in Southeast Europe, with a particular focus on North Macedonia. Against the backdrop of emerging hybrid authoritarian regimes in the former Yugoslavia, the study examines how memory narratives and heritage production are wielded as tools of power and identity formation.
Specifically, my analysis has two main objectives: first, to investigate the potential contribution of heritage and cultural memory narratives to societal polarisation and antagonism; and second, to analyse the emergence of social and civil movements in response to restrictive cultural politics. These objectives are grounded in the assumptions that heritage production, as a tool for identity formation, is inseparable from heritage destruction or enforcement, and that contemporary political struggles in the Balkans can only be fully understood by incorporating both the socio-political reality and the politics of cultural inclusion and exclusion into the theoretical framework.
By critically engaging with state-controlled collective representations of the past, the dissertation views heritage as an industry encompassing symbols, monuments, narratives, and commemorative practices. It highlights the emergence of counter-memories and acts of de-monumentalisation as forms of resistance to hegemonic cultural politics. Moreover, the thesis examines the Europeanisation of the past in North Macedonia, where various initiatives and pressures seek to intervene and revise national history and official memory narratives. In this context, Europeanisation is studied as a “top-down” endeavour. This study, reflecting the nature of nation-state initiatives and the broader processes monitored and influenced by the EU, reveals the challenges and cultural colonialism inherent in these efforts.
Central to the thesis is the understanding that heritage production cannot be divorced from destruction or manipulation, especially when conducted by authoritarian regimes. This study argues for a comprehensive theoretical framework integrating socio-political realities with dynamics of cultural inclusion and exclusion. Through a historiographical analysis of North Macedonia’s heritage scape and regional reactions to state-controlled cultural politics, the research raises critical questions about the socio-political consequences of forgetting or neglecting certain historical pasts. It explores how memory narratives can either facilitate peacebuilding or exacerbate conflict, depending on their deployment and reception.
Methodologically, the study draws on memory studies, conflict studies, gender studies, and social anthropology to explore the role of material culture in shaping political contexts. In essence, this dissertation contributes to understanding the complex dynamics of heritage production and memory politics in Southeast Europe, offering insights into how cultural narratives are instrumentalised in the service of political power and social cohesion.