It comprises the study, in English translation, of selected fiction, memoirs and film from several nations of Europe, with the common themes of war and totalitarianism in the twentieth century. Collective Memory in Europe is of interest to students of languages, literature, history, psychology, political studies and sociology. Collective memory is formed by shared experience, and the most influential common experience of twentieth-century Europe is war. Far from losing its significance with the passage of time, the legacy of war has recently re-emerged in the European consciousness, in light of recent major changes on the continent. Another experience common to many European nations is life under totalitarianism.
Totalitarian states attempt to efface memory and force the adoption of mythologies.
Collective Memory in Europe does not address the political, economic, or military aspects of twentieth-century European history. The focus instead is on the experience of individuals caught up in war and living under oppressive regimes, with the aim to provide insight to experiences that have shaped individual attitudes and the consciousness of nations. Women's memoirs feature prominently in the course materials. Course highlights include films and guest lectures by local Holocaust survivors and researchers. The French re-evaluation of Gaullist myths of resistance and of Vichy collaboration as depicted in films by Ophuls, Malle, Sauvage, and in writing by Marguerite Duras.