SOFIJA KALJEVIC

This study is an analysis of the relations between memory, place, and identity through the narratives of local citizens about Partisans' Square located in the city of Uzice, Serbia. It examines twenty life-stories connected to this specific public area. Participants' testimonials are not treated as a source for the construction of a historical narrative, but rather as representations and memories of various events that took place in and around this location in the second half of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century. This study considers how these eyewitnesses represent turbulent local history in the present and examines the role of place in memory construction, the role of memory in place construction, and the impact of these processes on identity formation. The dissertation argues that urban landscapes and architecture, in general, represent significant sites of memory that not only trigger memory but are also constantly manipulated to shape it. Furthermore, it examines how the past, present, memory, and identity are tied to structures of power.

Excerpt from the interviews:

“I do not know… I will tell you the first thing that crossed my mind. Today, I do not have any emotions about that event. But it is the first thing that comes to my mind. When we were kids, we were Tito’s pioneers. There was a monument in there, and on the day of his birth, every hour, two pioneers would come and stand there for next hour. I do not know if you remember that phase, but two pioneers with red scarfs and blue hat, in blue skirt and white shirt, red tee shirt, with blue hat, would stand next to Tito. Maybe it was 15 minutes, we would replace each other in there every 15 minutes. Something like that. That was, I do not know now, May 4th or May 25th. I do not know now. I was connected to him and I think it was after his death. I was… When he died, I was in first grade and that was horrible for all of us. I remember, when they picked me to stand there, I was so proud. I think that was the most beautiful 15 minutes spent on this square for me. I mean, it is funny, but that was the first thing that came to my mind. But that is the first thing… I do not know how would I describe you that. I mean, we are that generation of Tito’s pioneers… I cried a lot when Tito died. For me that was like wow, I clearly recall the feeling, how proud I was. You had to stand straight, to recreate that special posture. One pioneer on one side, other, on the other side… That was like wow for me. I did this only once, but that happened for next five, six, or seven years, whole period of my elementary school. Throughout whole that period, you know, when Tito was still favoured, loved. Today, that event doesn’t carry any significance to me.”

Doctoral Dissertation. Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. 10845561) / September 2018