| Abstract | The article discusses the role of collective memory in the identity of nations. The article explores the various factors that lead to the creation and identity of a nation, referencing the work of such philosophers and social scientists as Ernst Renan, Sigmund Freud, and Benedict Anderson. Using post-World War II Germany as case studies, the article discusses the role of national identity reformulation after periods of great violence and brutality. Details are provided regarding Freudian defense mechanisms, mnemonic rationalism, and indentitarian voluntarism. Comments are provided by such historical commentators as Bishop Theophil Wurm, Thomas Mann, and Karl Jaspers.
|
