Discussions on Collective Memory in the Work of Reinhart Koselleck and Hannah Arendt

Abstract

In this paper, we analyze the importance of collective memory from the perspective of two interrelated disciplines: history and politics. To do so, we turn to two German authors who lived through the horror of the Holocaust and reflected on the need to find meaning in the events of the past. On the one hand, Reinhart Koselleck argues that it is impossible to account for a collective memory, while, on the other hand, Hannah Arendt considers it essential to provide a solid basis for the institutionalization of politics.