The Contested Nation

How did national histories in Europe come into being and which were most successful in underpinning national identities? Who constructed the narratives of 'the nation' and why were they accepted, rejected or contested? How did the discourse of 'the nation' integrate narratives of ethnicity, race, cl [...]
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How did national histories in Europe come into being and which were most successful in underpinning national identities? Who constructed the narratives of 'the nation' and why were they accepted, rejected or contested? How did the discourse of 'the nation' integrate narratives of ethnicity, race, class, religion and gender? This volume provides answers to these questions in a truly comparative and transnational way. It highlights how ideas and cultural practices travelled across national boundaries. Among others, it analyzes the formative influence of religious storylines on national narratives - like that of 'The Promised Land' and that of 'Birth, Death, and Resurrection'. The volume explains why and how so many national histories in Europe represented other nations as their special enemies. It thus uncovers the intricate interrelationships between national histories and highlights the role their writers have played in paving the conflict-ridden and bloody road to a united Europe in the 21st Century.