Contested Ground: Public Commemorations of the Shoah in Lviv

Abstract The narratives of World War II, and especially accusations of nationalism and anti-Semitism, are widely used in Russian propaganda to legitimize the military aggression against Ukraine. This article takes a closer look at Lviv, a city with a traditionally strong national identity. While historical events related to the implementation of the Shoah in the city are well researched, less attention has been paid to public perception of them. Besides giving an overview of the local memory actors, the main focus of this article lies on public commemorations, which are considered to be media of the transmission and articulation of historical knowledge. The article first examines the content of speeches, and the manner in which ceremonies are staged. It then questions the views society holds toward the Jewish past and how the Jewish identity is conveyed through these rituals. The study is based on in-situ empirical research conducted between August 2015 and January 2023.