Studying memorial practice offers a revealing vantage point into changes in attitudes towards the past and with observers referring to ‘memorial mania’ it is an opportune moment to do so. Two main lines of questioning regarding contemporary memorial practices are addressed here. The first looks at memorial functions and intentions. The second examines some of their social and political impacts. The final part of the article analyses some of the consequences of these impacts for citizenship: notions of victimhood and silencing. The main case study is the evolution of memorial practice in Spain since the Civil War (1936–39) this is set off against examples from other places. The conclusion that emerges is that predominant memorial practices are far more despotic than democratic in their injunction to recall a specific narrative of events and trying to steer a paradigm shift towards democratic memorial practices raises questions about civic rights and duties towards the past.
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