Latvian National Identity in the Post-heroic Era

Abstract In recent years, commemorative practices in Europe have changed, and the historiography uses the term “post-heroic” to describe the transformation in memory-making. Post-heroism signifies when public recognition is no longer attributed to heroic deeds but to the victims of conflicts and wars.. These recent transformations in European commemorative practices are a challenge to the idea of a united European identity because an identity based on a narrative of victimhood generates an identity for the group that has suffered, leading to a competition of victimhood: i.e., victimhood is exclusive and does not allow the ideal of a European identity to thrive. This article analyzes the ways the construction of Latvia’s collective memory after the country regained independence in 1990 exemplifies post-heroic identity and elucidates the consequences and challenges such a self-image produces in a society that has embraced it.