ANTROPOWEBZIN 1–2/2018: ESEJE 37
Abandoning he monoli hic ic im:
Changes in ep esen a ions o he
memo y o Ra ensb ück
concen a ion camp
Šá ka Kadleco á
Ka ed a an opologie, Fakul a ilozo ická, Západočeská uni e zi a Plzni
sa kak@ksa.ff.zcu
This a icle deals wi h ep esen a ions o
collec i e memo y o he women’s concen-
a ion camp Ra ensb ück. Memo ials es ab-
lished a he si es o o me Nazi concen a ion
camps a e e e ed o as Eu opean symbolic
ealms o memo y. Cul u al memo y is ma-
e ialized in exhibi s and ansmi ed h ough
exposi ions. Howe e , since collec i e mem-
o y is closely connec ed wi h he cons i u -
ing and cons i u ed g oup and e lec s i s e-
qui emen s, he hemes and meanings selec ed
o he audience a y in diffe en poli ical and
empo al condi ions. Employing he me h-
ods o discou se analysis o wo exhibi ions
in he Ra ensb ück Memo ial, pa icipan and
non-pa icipan obse a ion, in e iewing, and
con en analysis o official publica ions, he
changes in app oaches o he ep esen a ion
o collec i e memo y a e examined. The shi
om depic ing a monoli hic na ional ic im o
pe sonalisa ion and di e si y is discussed.
In oduc ion
Acco ding o Pie e No a’s (1996) ypology,
Nazi concen a ion camp si es can be ca ego-
ized as Eu opean symbolic ealms o memo y.
A “memo y mania” has occu ed in Eu ope
(Lenz and Welze 2009), especially since he
s a o he millennium, d awing he ap a -
en ion o schola s as well as he gene al public
o he i age and memo ialisa ion. On a poli i-
cal le el, he special signi icance o Holocaus
ememb ance was ag eed on a he in e na-
ional S ockholm con e ence held on Janua y
27, 2000. The “uni e sal meaning” o he Holo-
caus as a consequence o i s “unp eceden ed
cha ac e ” was ecognized. In he decla a-
ion adop ed a he ga he ing, he membe s
o wen y-six Eu opean coun ies, he USA,
Is ael and A gen ina who pa icipa ed in he
e en e e ed o “ he ho o s ha engul ed
he Jewish people” and “ he e ible suffe ing
o he many millions o o he ic ims o he
Nazis” which “has le an indelible sca ac oss
Eu ope”, as o Augus 8, 2017, he homepage
o he In e na ional Holocaus Rememb ance
Alliance s a ed.
Howe e , he pe manen wound o Eu ope
had no always been pe cei ed as auma ic,
p esen and, abo e all, commonly sha ed. The
official decla a ion ha he Holocaus and he
damage done by he Nazis ep esen s uni-
e sal e il is a esul o a i e-decade-long
p ocess o “meaning s uggle” (Alexande in
Eye man 2004), “ auma d ama” (Eye man
2004), nego ia ions, meaning making, and
making a b idge be ween he ac ual e en and
i s ep esen a ion. As Aleida Assmann (2011,
27) w i es, “I ook wen y yea s o he Holo-
caus o esu ace om behind he co e o he
Second Wo ld Wa and ano he wen y yea s
un il he his o ic c ime o he Holocaus ook
he shape o a ansna ional cul u e o com-
memo a ion.” This is no a na u al de elop-
men . Cons uc ing a social auma is a he
38 ANTROPOWEBZIN 1–2/2018: ESEJE
“ he esul o an exe cise o human agency, o
he success ul imposi ion o a new sys em o
cul u al classi ica ion [...] deeply affec ed by
powe s uc u es and by he con ingen skills o
e lexi e social agen s” (Alexande 2012, 15).
The auma un olds in a ious ins i u ional
a enas, such as eligious, aes he ic, legal and
scien i ic, o mass media and s a e bu eau-
c acy. In he symbolic-cum-emo ional ep e-
sen a ion o social suffe ing, collec i e iden-
i y is he agen de ining collec i e suffe ing,
usually d awing on indi idual expe iences o
pain and suffe ing. In ellec uals, poli ical lead-
e s and symbol c ea o s o all kinds c ea e
na a i es h ough speeches, i uals, mee ings,
mo ies and s o y elling which a e p ojec ed o
he audience and hi d pa ies. Emo ional ex-
pe ience is hus c i ical bu no p imo dial in
his p ocess (Alexande 2012).
Monumen s, museums and memo ials play
a signi ican ole in cons uc ing social memo y
and nego ia ing he meaning o auma. Jelin
and Kau man (in Alexande 2012, 13) pe cei e
hem as “a emp s o make s a emen s and a -
i ma ions [ o c ea e] a ma e iali y wi h a po-
li ical, collec i e, public meaning [and] a phys-
ical eminde o a con lic i e poli ical pas ”.
Acco ding o Ca ol Kid on (2015, 50), “The
cons uc ion o na ional memo y and he pub-
lic si es in which i is housed and pe o med
play an essen ial ole in he main enance o col-
lec i e cohesion and cul u al con inui y.” They
“encapsula e he cul u al meanings a ibu ed
o e en s e oking e-enac men o he pas and
consensual emembe ing” (ibid.). Wa memo-
ies play a undamen al ole in he cons uc-
ion o mas e na a i es o ic o y and de ea
in dis inguishing he oic ( ic o ) and ulne able
( ic im) ca ego ies. The ques ion is hen how
ansna ional memo y is ab ica ed in ealms
o memo y ecognised as such.
This a icle discusses he con en o wo
exhibi ions in Ra ensb ück Memo ial in o -
de o iden i y he changes in ep esen a ions
o he memo y o a Nazi women’s concen a-
ion camp h ough ime. They a e ma ked by
he al e a ion o poli ical egimes; one exhi-
bi ion being compounded in he e a o Eas
Ge many, he o he opened a e he u n o
he cen u y unde democ a ic ule. I appea s
ha poli ical ideological a iables in luence he
app oaches o meaning ul hemes selec ed o
ememb ance.
Ra ensb ück Memo ial as a Subjec
o In es iga ion
The ealm o collec i e cul u al memo y exam-
ined in his a icle is he memo ial loca ed di-
ec ly on he si e o he o me Nazi concen a-
ion camp Ra ensb ück. O iginally a labou
camp in ended especially o women, F auen-
skonze azionslage Ra ensb ück was opened
in 1939 and libe a ed in Ap il 1945, ha ing
changed in o an ex e mina ion camp. Acco d-
ing o he in o ma ion published by he memo-
ial, app oxima ely 132,000 women, 20,000
men and 1,000 adolescen o young women
we e egis e ed he e.
The si e is loca ed eigh y kilome es o he
no h o Be lin, and du ing he pe iod o a di-
ided Ge many i was si ua ed in he eas -
e n pa o he coun y. A na ional memo ial
was es ablished in 1959, i s as a museum dis-
playing a e ac s dona ed by o me p isone s.
I was one o h ee na ional memo ials es ab-
lished a ha ime in he Ge man Democ a ic
Republic. Simul aneous o i s ole as a memo-
ial, he o me camp was pu o p ac ical use.
I s acili ies we e used by he So ie a my be-
ween 1945 and 1999. The official name in Ge -
man, Mahn- und Gedanks ä e Ra ensb ück,
clea ly illus a es he in ended unc ion o he
ins i u ion. The e is he wo d mahn-, mean-
ing eminde o wa ning, added o he Ge -
man wo d o memo ial. Only memo ials in
Eas Ge many we e so named. The name en-
cou ages ac i i y in he audience. Visi o s a e
eminded o e en u ged no o o ge , in o -
de o ecognize ha he cu en imes un-
de a diffe en poli ical egime a e be e , and
beha e in compliance wi h he “nie wiede ”,
“ne e again” slogan. Nowadays, he i le is
pe cei ed as an example o he applica ion o
he ideology o Eas Ge many – oo command-
ing, ep esen ing a li ed index inge o he
non-democ a ic socialis egime. The Memo-
ial is cu en ly adminis e ed by he B anden-
bu g Memo ial Founda ion unde he Ge man
Minis y o Cul u e.
Despi e i s unique ea u es, like i s s a-
us as a labou camp exclusi ely o women,
ŠÁRKA KADLECOVÁ: ABANDONING THE MONOLITHIC VICTIM 39
Ra ensb ück has no d awn much schola ly a -
en ion. The cu en di ec o o he Memo-
ial, Insa Eschebach, e e ed o he i s
schola ly esea ch, conduc ed in he 1980s by
s uden s om Be lin as pa o a diploma he-
sis on Jewish women in Ra ensb ück. She
claims ha he uniqueness o he si e lies in
i s being a place o women:
“No mally, concen a ion camps a e o men. One
speaks o concen a ion camps. Ra ensb ück is
called WCL – women’s concen a ion camp (FKL,
F auenkonzen azionslage ). When people speak abou
concen a ion camps, hey always see men. We mus
emembe ha he e we e also many women. The pop-
ula memo y sees a concen a ion camp p isone as
a male. We mus co ec ha .”
Addi ionally, Jane Jacobs (2010, 51), who
chose he si e o he ieldwo k, no es ha
“Ge man collec i e memo y is imp essi e and
offe s insigh in o he complex na u e o pub-
lic o ms o commemo a ion; a e iew o he
esea ch e eals he ex en o which ques ions
o gende ha e emained somewha obscu ed
in his b oad ield o memo y s udies. Pe -
haps he mos gla ing omission is he absence
o an ex ensi e body o schola ship on Ra ens-
b ück”.
Theo e ical Backg ound
The ex en o social in luence on memo y has
been a ma e o in e es o a ious schol-
a s in he social sciences. Mau ice Halbwachs
(2009) in oduced he so-called social ame-
wo ks o memo y ha a e cons uc ed in he
p ocess o socializa ion. They shape indi id-
uals’ memo ies based on a selec ion o wha
is communica ed, pe cei ed as impo an and
e lec ed upon. An indi idual hus a anges
his o he indi idual memo ies acco dingly. In
Halbwachs’ iew, his o y, memo y and iden-
i y a e connec ed and unde he in luence o
one ano he . Thus iden i y equi emen s ha e
an impac on he selec ion o wha aspec s
o he pas will be emembe ed and, ecip o-
cally, common emembe ing cons i u es com-
mon iden i y.
This a icle is conce ned wi h he ype o
social memo y iden i ied as cul u al memo y,
which is designa ed as “memo y whose p i-
ma y o m o ansmission is h ough cul u al
media, such as ex s, ilm and ele ision, and
museums and exhibi ions” (Macdonald 2013,
15). I is a no ion o memo y in oduced by
Jan Assmann and is o en pu in opposi ion
o he communica i e memo y cons uc ed in
e e yday li ely pe sonal in e ac ions. Cul u al
memo y is objec i ied, ab ica ed, and ce emo-
nial. I is bound o ixed poin s in ime, o pas
e en s. In o de o be in e p e ed, i equi es
p e ious unde s anding and e en special edu-
ca ion. I is connec ed wi h cons uc ing and
ansmi ing collec i e iden i y (E ll 2005).
Al hough cul u al memo y is clea ly linked
o pa icula e en s in he pas whose ep e-
sen a ion o explana ion i p o ides, he e ap-
pea s o be a clea dis inc ion be ween memo y
and his o y. Pa el Ba ša (2011) w i es ha
collec i e memo y is bound o g oup iden i y.
I e lec s he p ac ical demands o he p esen
a he han he c i e ia o he u h abou he
pas . I se es he sel -iden i ica ion o sel -
asse ion o a pa icula g oup, whe eas his o y
is in he se ice o uni e sal knowledge. Ac-
co ding o Pie e No a (in Ba ša 2011), mem-
o y is dynamic, ca ied by g oups ha a e ali e
and he e o e in pe manen e olu ion. I c e-
a es a p oblema ic, incomple e econs uc ion
o some hing ha is no longe he e.
Ra ensb ück Memo ial as an ins i u ion
can be pe cei ed as a bea e and c ea o o cul-
u al memo y. The ques ions ha may occu
conce n he way meanings a e cons uc ed, as
well as by whom, and how memo y is ans-
mi ed o isi o s. Gabi Dolff-Bonekämpe
(2011, 143) iden i ies he key elemen o mem-
o y ansmission as he “memo able momen ”
o one’s lea ning expe ience when in con ac
wi h he con en o someone else’s s o y o
opinion. I needs o be old, lis ened o and
lea ned. Subsequen ly, i will be emembe ed,
embedded in o he ecei e ’s lea ning expe-
ience and colou ed by pe sonal ecollec ions
and inne mos emo ions. The memo able mo-
men ma ks he s a ing poin o ano he pe -
son’s u u e memo y. Thus, people who ha e
no expe ienced he e en can become he wi -
nesses o hei own lea ning expe ience. Mem-
o y is ansmi ed h ough ime and space.
The subjec i e and objec i e empo ali ies as
well as he coun y, own o oom o occu -
ence will be a ached o he ecollec ions o
40 ANTROPOWEBZIN 1–2/2018: ESEJE
he new pe son. Howe e , “al hough memo-
able momen s may be planned and p epa ed,
no one can be su e o he ou come” (ibid.).
Me hodology
In o de o answe he esea ch ques ion abou
how he official ep esen a ions o he mem-
o y o Ra ensb ück ha e changed o e ime
– in he e as o he di ided and uni ed e-
publics o Ge many – a a ie y o me hods
we e deployed. Field wo k a he memo ial
si e and obse a ions o bo h exhibi ions we e
conduc ed. While in he ield, he me hod ha
Gillian Rose (2016) e ms discou se analysis II
was employed. I is a ool o examine he ways
in which a ious dominan ins i u ions ha e
pu images o wo k. This me hod is conce ned
wi h echnologies o display, ex ual and i-
sual echnologies o in e p e a ion, echnolo-
gies o layou , he a chi ec u al s uc u e o
he museum i sel , and isi o ou ing, among
o he hings. Mo eo e , pa icipan obse a-
ion in an in e na ional g oup o su i o s and
hei descendan s when iewing he museum
was ca ied ou .
Addi ionally, he con en o official ma e-
ials on he exhibi ions was analysed. These
we e published by he B andenbu g Memo ial
Founda ion, he umb ella o ganisa ion ha
also adminis e s Ra ensb ück Memo ial. One
o he esou ces was a olume consis ing o es-
says on he na ional memo ials in he so-called
cell building, along wi h b ie desc ip ions and
isual documen a ion o he indi idual ooms.
The o he was he official ca alogue accompa-
nying he newly opened main exhibi ion. I
p o ides in o ma ion abou he in en ion o he
cu a o and is ich in isual ep oduc ions o
he pho og aphs, documen s and a e ac s dis-
played in he exposi ion. Bo h olumes we e
edi ed by he cu en di ec o o he Memo ial,
who was also pe sonally in e iewed.
The Shi om Na ionalism o
Plu alism: The Monoli hic Vic im
Becomes Di e si ied
Na ional Memo ials in he Cell Building
The i s exhibi ion in he Memo ial was
opened in 1959 in he basemen o he o me
camp p ison, he cell building. Indi idual cells
we e la e used as spaces o na ional ins al-
la ions. The e was no uni ying ounda ion o
he exposi ions, and he na ional app oaches
a ied conside ably. Ne e heless, hei layou
was assigned. Thei o de in he cell build-
ing illus a es he ch onological sp ead o as-
cism ac oss Eu opean coun ies. D awing on
his pe spec i e, he Spanish na ional exhibi-
ion is si ua ed in he i s oom, he Aus ian
in he second, and he Czechoslo ak in he
hi d om he en ance. Eschebach (2008, 83)
poin s ou he didac ic p inciple o he mu-
seum, namely o guide isi o s “ h ough he
ch onological aspec s o Na ional Socialism’s
p ac ice o conques ”. She also sha es a e-
ma kable obse a ion abou he i ony o such
a decision, no ing “ ha he isi o ollowing
he guided ou in olun a ily slips in o he ole
o Ge man Weh mach by en e ing each na-
ional space” (ibid.).
Associa ions o o me p isone s we e p i-
ma ily engaged in designing he con en o he
cells. Some o hem commissioned p o essional
a is s. In 1984, a “ unc ional diag am” was
o mula ed o p o ide guidelines o design-
ing he ooms. The main mo i s ins i u ion-
ally selec ed o he memo ials we e na ional
lags and plin hs a he ea wall; he main o-
cus o he museum is women’s esis ance, as
well as a is ic in e p e a ions o his s ug-
gle (Eschebach 2008). Typically, he na ional
memo ial ooms con ain au hen ic isual and
ex ual ma e ials explaining he poli ical con-
ex o he subsequen imp isonmen o hei
ci izens, such as documen a ion o ep essi e
measu es aken by he Nazis a e he assassi-
na ion o Reinha d Heyd ich in he Czechoslo-
ak memo ial oom, o pho og aphic illus a-
ions o he Spanish Ci il Wa in he Spanish
memo ial oom. O en an a e ac (a sculp-
u e o pain ing) depic ing he suffe ing was
ins alled, such as he sculp u e o a kneeling
woman posi ioned in on o p ison ba s in
he Romanian memo ial oom. Pe soni ica ion
o he women inca ce a ed in Ra ensb ück is
accomplished h ough pho og aphs o lis s o
names on he walls o indi idual cell ooms,
and also h ough he display o keepsakes –
small pe sonal handic a objec s which o en
se ed as gi s among p isone s.
ŠÁRKA KADLECOVÁ: ABANDONING THE MONOLITHIC VICTIM 41
In he cu a ing app oach o he design o
he cell-building memo ials, he na ional as-
pec p e ails o e he indi idual o pe sonal.
Consequen ly, he ic ims a e he whole na-
ions hemsel es affec ed by e il ascism. The
imp ession o a seamless na ional ic im is c e-
a ed by ha ing he main ocus on he coun-
y’s an i- ascis esis ance, leading o he ci -
izens me ging “wi h he women depo ed o
Ra ensb ück o o m he monoli hic igu e o
a single ic im” (Eschebach 2008, 85). Suffe -
ing seems o be he salien heme o all he
na ional memo ial ooms. This imp ession is
ein o ced by he a chi ec u al elemen s o con-
c e e walls and me al s ai cases, a lack o day-
ligh , and he knowledge ha he o iginal unc-
ion o he space was o se e as a place o
se e e punishmen in he concen a ion camp.
The adminis e ing o ganiza ion, he B an-
denbu g Memo ial Founda ion, decided in he
ea ly 1990s ha he na ional memo ials should
be conse ed as hey we e. The e o e, hey
nowadays p o ide an oppo uni y o isi o s
as well as schola s o examine he cons uc ion
o he collec i e cul u al memo y o Ra ens-
b ück.
The New Exhibi ion
In he p e ace o a olume published in 2008
on he memo ials es ablished in he cell build-
ing in Ra ensb ück, he cu en di ec o o
he Memo ial, Insa Eschebach (2008, 15), ex-
p esses he need o a mo e con empo a y ap-
p oach o he museum, as she w i es ha “a
new place o commemo a ion should be c e-
a ed ou side o he cell building which mee s
he demands o a plu alis ically o ien ed cul-
u e o commemo a ion”. In Ap il 2013 a new
main exhibi ion was opened. I is loca ed in
a sepa a e building in on o he walls o he
ac ual camp, he o me commandan s’ head-
qua e s. The exhibi ion ooms sp ead o e
wo loo s and, unlike he na ional memo i-
als in he cell building, hey e ince a link-
ing cu a o s’ idea. Ob iously, his is a com-
plex exhibi ion designed by he Memo ial, and
i con ains ex ual and isual media, pho-
og aphs, documen s, biog aphies and ma e-
ial objec s employed o p o ide an insigh
in o he opog aphy, his o y and unc ion o
he concen a ion camp, li e inside o i , and
p ac ices o commemo a ion. Acco ding o
he official ca alogue o he exhibi ion, h ee
me hodological app oaches we e deployed in
he concep : con ex ualizing, his o icizing and
mul ipe spec i i y (Beßmann and Eschebach
2013). By con ex ualizing, he au ho s mean
aking he app oach “no o s a e a da e o
a hing alone” (ibid., 16) and explaining why
a women’s concen a ion camp was es ablished
in 1938. His o icizing allows he unde s and-
ing o he pas as a s o y. Conce ning he
new exhibi ion, mul ipe spec i i y ela es o
he diffe ences among he g oups o p isone s,
hei expe iences and ememb ances. In his
ega d, memo ies o Ra ensb ück a e no co-
he en and he e o e will no be delibe a ely
p esen ed as such.
The exhibi ion begins on he i s loo o
a spacious house eachable by a wooden s ai -
case ha he Nazi commandan s once walked.
I migh be he space i sel , wi h wide co i-
do s and s ai cases, ample ooms wi h wooden
loo s, enough dayligh and he nea layou
o indi idual exposi ions, a e ac s placed in
glass cases and labels in Ge man and English,
which con ibu e o he educa ional ocus ex-
pe ienced in he exhibi ion. In addi ion, he
only a wo ks on display a e hose c ea ed
by he p isone s hemsel es as illus a ions o
e en s in he camp o pe sonal handic a ob-
jec s. Unlike in he cell building, he e a e no
exp essi e a wo ks commissioned om p o-
essional a is s.
The isi o is guided h ough hi een
ooms in ch onological o de , om an ea ly
his o y o he loca ion and i s ans o ma-
ion in o a Nazi concen a ion camp, h ough
Wo ld Wa II and in o he pos -wa e a. Gen-
e al in o ma ion abou he Nazi genocidal sys-
em, li e in he camp, o ced labou and he
libe a ion o he camp a e ep esen ed. Addi-
ional psychological opics a e also p esen ed,
such as solida i y and sel -p ese a ion on he
one hand and con lic s among p isone s on he
o he . The occu ence o i al ous ela ion-
ships in he camp is ep esen ed by a d awing
by a Czech p isone called Nina Ji síko á.
“The e a e wo women in he cen e o he pic u e
sea ed a a long able. They a e d essed in s iped
p isone shi s, depic ed du ing ea ing ime. The e

42 ANTROPOWEBZIN 1–2/2018: ESEJE
is a pa o he body o ano he woman on he igh
side indica ing a ow o ea e s. One o he women in
he o eg ound is bending o e owa ds he o he one,
s a ing in o he po . The ea e is co e ing he a ion
wi h one hand and g asping i wi h he o he . The i le
o he colou ed d awing insc ibed below is ‘You’ e go
a po a o he e gi l’ ”
The selec ion o he d awing o he main ex-
hibi ion con adic s he his o ically mo e com-
mon na a i e o me e solida i y and com ade-
ship among inca ce a ed women.
The sec ion o he exhibi ion en i led “P is-
one s” deploys a na ional pe spec i e, as he
p isone s a e g ouped acco ding o hei na-
ionali ies. Howe e , he e is a clea shi o
indi idualiza ion and pe sonalisa ion o he
suffe ing. The ic im is no longe he whole
na ion igh ing agains Nazism. I is a he
a pa icula woman wi h he own li e s o y be-
o e, du ing and a e he inca ce a ion. Mo e
p ecisely, a ious women om diffe en coun-
ies and wi h diffe en s o ies.
“The e is a binde wi h pho og aphs and b ie in o ma-
ion abou he li es o h ee p isone s om Czechoslo-
akia on display. One o hem is a su i o om
Lidice. The selec ion o pe sonal pho og aphs de-
pic s he wi h he amily be o e he wa , a g oup o
Czechoslo ak p isone s se ling in a o es du ing he
so-called dea h ma ch a e he libe a ion o he camp,
Czechoslo ak p isone s lined up in a g oup pho o in
Neu B andenbu g whe e hey ga he ed a e he dea h
ma ch and be o e he anspo a ion o hei home
coun y, he wi h he sis e in P ague a e he wa ,
and inally he su ounded by young Japanese singe s
du ing a commemo a ion ce emony in Lidice.”
The se ies in ends o c ea e a complex image o
he li e o an indi idual su i o , including he
engagemen in public memo y ansmission a -
e he wa .
The con inua ion o memo y wo k and, in
gene al, li e a e imp isonmen , is ep esen ed
and encou aged he e by d awing a en ion o
he amily membe s o he women-p isone s,
he second and hi d gene a ions.
“Two po ai s o Ge man p isone s accompanied by
b ie in o ma ion abou hei li es hang on he wall o
he exposi ion oom labelled ‘P isone s’. On op o he
ames he e a e snapsho s o hei descendan s posing
in on o hese po ai s while isi ing he exhibi ion.
They a e small pho og aphs loosely placed abo e he
exhibi s. Bo h women in he pic u es a e smiling. One
o hem shows he ges u e o a humbs-up, exp essing
he joy a euni ing.”
These ex a elemen s became pa o he
ins alla ion. This indica es ha he exhibi ion
igge s pe sonalisa ion in isi o s as well. I
p o ides an a enue o amily membe s o con-
nec wi h hei ances o s. Alexande (2012)
iden i ies pe sonalizing auma as one o he
phases in he p ocess o meaning making, in
he s uggle o i s ecogni ion as a socially
sha ed phenomenon. Subsequen ly o pe son-
alizing, e e yone can iden i y wi h he ic ims.
In he case o Ra ensb ück Memo ial, he in-
en ion o he designe s o he exhibi ion seems
o be a shi in he cons uc ion o cul u al
memo y om he na ional, uni ied and he e-
o e limi ed, h ough he pe sonal and di e si-
ied, o he uni e sal, and he e o e democ a ic
and accessible o he wide public.
Conclusion
Changes in he ep esen a ions o cul u al
memo y o he women’s concen a ion camp
Ra ensb ück we e discussed in his a icle.
Wi h a ocus on he con en s and p ope -
ies o wo diffe en exhibi ions es ablished
a he Memo ial, he a emp was o iden-
i y diffe ences in ep esen a ions selec ed o
display. Du ing ield wo k a he si e, a i-
ous me hods we e employed, such as discou se
analysis o spa ial, echnological and isi o -
o ien ed aspec s o he exhibi ions, pa ici-
pan and non-pa icipan obse a ion, and in-
e iewing, wi h addi ional con en analysis o
published ma e ials accompanying he exposi-
ions. Al hough he i s exhibi ions we e com-
pounded by diffe en Eu opean s a es, wi h as-
socia ions o o me p isone s in ol ed in he
p ocess, hey showed simila isual ep esen a-
ions anging om exp essi e a wo ks, pe -
sonal pho og aphs and lis s o names o na-
ional lags. The na ional ocus was p e alen
un il he ea ly 1990s, causing a ce ain in isi-
bili y o he ic ims, who me ged in o a mass
o ep esen a i es o a na ion. Mo eo e , so-
cial memo y was cons uc ed wi h ega d o
poli ics, esponding o he needs o a ce ain
g oup. Innocen ic ims o a na ion exp essing
ŠÁRKA KADLECOVÁ: ABANDONING THE MONOLITHIC VICTIM 43
solida i y and com adeship wi h one ano he
and collec i ely opposing Nazism we e he o-
cal poin .
A he beginning o he millennium, a new
exposi ion was opened in on o he wall o
he o me camp. Appa en ly, he democ a ic
socie y o he wen y- i s cen u y eques ed
diffe en mo i s in he ep esen a ion o he
collec i e memo y o Ra ensb ück. The e is
an obse able shi o pe soni ica ion and psy-
chologisa ion, as well as an ideological en-
dency owa d mul iple pe spec i es o sha ed
expe ience. Os ensibly, he new exhibi ion
cons uc s a social memo y o he concen a-
ion camp Ra ensb ück in acco dance wi h he
no ion o memo y as collec ed (Young 1993)
a he han collec i e (Halbwachs 2009). I
is app oached as a se o a ious p ocesses o
emembe ing indi iduals and g oups, wi h
a ocus on he plu alis ic cha ac e is ic o
memo y. Finally, memo y wo k seems o be
ealized he e om an e hical pe spec i e, as
opposed o a poli ical one (Ba ša 2011), as
a en ion is di ec ed o he sha ed iden i y o
human beings, highligh ing he aspec s o he
expe ience o Ra ensb ück which may be pe -
cei ed as uni e sal. Howe e , such pu sui o
uni e salism and appeal o humani y may be
signi ican o he imminen shi in he ole o
Holocaus memo ials, om places o memo y
o places o his o y.
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