6. WWII on the Periphery of Europe: A Contested Chapter

Abstract

Chapter 6 introduces Europe as a significant Other to the stage, and with that the memory of WWII. In times of East-West memory clashes in Europe, the emotional Estonian story easily stirs up feelings of insecurity, facing the perceived hegemonic and incontestable European WWII narrative. The lack of a Holocaust memory and the memory of Estonian men in SS uniforms as freedom fighters evokes the fear of being misunderstood and subordinate within Europe. They feel torn between the moral obligations towards their (grand)parents and their wish to be seen as ‘full Europeans’. Within the European family the lack of closure and of a settled Estonian history makes the struggle with ‘European memories’ feel very unequal, painful, and vulnerable.