Historical Canons and Canonization in Belgium and Hungary: a comparative analysis with a European perspective from the late 18th century to the early 21st century (COMPAIR)

The project’s objective is to prepare a comprehensive methodological framework for a comparative analysis of Belgian and Hungarian historical canons and canonization from the beginning of modern nation-building up to the 21st century. This comparison will follow the examples of national and bi- and multinational initiatives to create a historical canon through places of memory/remembrance, but it will also surpass them by (1) offering a small nation perspective; (2) establishing a new interpretation for European comparative history; (3) integrating the contested territories of recent cultural heritage into the history of nation-building. The framework for this analysis will be determined by a matrix of four domains and four tests periods in order to arrange the two national histories as comparable entities. The four domains are selected to express both the academic and the official political discourses on the national past and its interpretation and representation to a wider audience through schools, museums, monuments and other institutions. The four test periods place the two nations into a longue durée perspective and determine historical eras, which witnessed crucial changes not only in the two countries, but also in Europe in general. The common research could be enlarged to a larger scope once the shared methodology and the comparative methodology is developed. The cooperation would prepare a H2020 Twinning Proposal in which the small nation innovation and models would be studied on a European scale with the integration of other university teams representing small nation and/or regional perspectives.

Keywords:Canons

Disciplines:History