The historical profession is nowhere famous for its tolerance, but there are not many countries where historians can expect to pay for their opinions with penal servitude or the firing squad.
Norman DaviesRead
Why are some things remembered and others forgotten? That is the theme I want to pursue about the Second World War.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote questions the nature of memory and historical significance, particularly regarding World War II.
In this quote, Norman Davies reflects on the selective nature of historical memory, pondering how some events, like those of World War II, leave a lasting impact while others fade into obscurity. This theme encourages a deeper exploration of why certain narratives endure in public consciousness, highlighting the importance of remembrance in understanding history and its implications for the present and future.
Themes
MemoryHistoryWorld War IiRememberingForgetting
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of historical education.
More from Norman Davies
All quotes βTransience is one of the fundamental characteristics both of the human condition and of the political order.
Norman DaviesRead
Nowadays, it is no longer possible to maintain that the Nazi-Soviet pact of 23 August 1939 was a fiction invented by bourgeois-imperialist enemies. Everyone has seen the film clips of Herr Ribbentrop landing in Moscow, and of Stalin smiling broadly as Ribbentrop and Molotov signed up side by side.
Norman DaviesRead
Our mental maps are distorted by who are the 'winners' of history and who are the powers of today.
Norman DaviesRead
One might have thought that 70 years was time enough to work out what really happened in 1939. It isn't the case. Misunderstandings and misinformation abound.
Norman DaviesRead
I wanted to produce a book that would demonstrate not only the rich diversity of people who answered to Anders's command but also the extraordinary variety of their experiences and emotions: from death to despair, fear and longings and eventually to hope.
Norman DaviesRead
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War is a crucial, deeply ingrained part of human history. It has to be understood.
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