Family memory and official history about the recent past in conflict: the case of Cyprus

This article explores the relationship of family memory and children’s history learning about the troubled events of 1974 in Cyprus, reporting on aspects of a broader qualitative study on how Greek-Cypriot survivors of these events remember and build self-narratives for communicating their experiences to the younger generation. For this study, research data were collected: (1) via one-on-one semi-structured interviews with 5 history educators, 23 parents or grandparents and 10 joint interviews with (grand)parents and their children; (2) through the methods of document analysis of the history textbook; and (3) by observing classes teaching recent Cypriot history. This study shows that these survivors approach the history textbook and teachers as vehicles transferring the state’s approach to 1974 and claim their own share when talking about the past. It reveals that they see politics as a barrier to having an authentic representation of the past and undertake initiatives, such as storytelling, witnessing funerals of missing persons and visiting places with certain meanings for their family histories, to help their children draw links between the troubled past and present. These memory sites stage adults’ stories and are appreciated as enabling youngsters to inherit family history and values while acknowledging their positionality in society. These findings highlight the importance of further investigating intergenerational narratives, as they may help children to develop a coherent understanding of the past or they may distort their ideas about the past, adopting the adults’ beliefs, memories and knowledge of the past. These findings suggest the need to enhance our knowledge of family-intergenerational memory and emotional issues in history learning in Cyprus and other conflict-ridden societies.