Memories of Disasters

The ways in which societies remember catastrophes and deal with their emotional aftermaths not only depends on the number of casualties or the extent of destruction. The interpretation of catastrophic events is dominated first by the frames of reference used to understand them and second by pre-existent expectations. Countries in which floodings occur on a regular basis will experience them differently than countries where floodings are considered an unprecedented exception. The forms of memorialization and their historical learnings therefore not only depend on their cultural impact but also on the question whether they are perceived as manageable or not.
"Memories of Disasters", a side project of KWI's Climate Culture Project will address these questions.