Public history became established as a distinct field of historiography from the 1980s onward, in the context of the rapid expansion of memory studies, driven by growing public interest in the past and in questions of identity. “Public history” encompasses the diverse practices through which historical knowledge is communicated to broad audiences, while, in many cases, narratives about the past are created collaboratively with different communities and publics. Unlike academic history, public history extends beyond the university classroom, placing particular emphasis on the representation and performance of memory. It is closely connected to contemporary questions and social needs, especially those concerning the construction of identities and the politics of memory.
The agents of public history are numerous and varied, including the state, municipalities, museums, businesses, literature, cinema, television, local and cultural associations, scholarly organizations, political groups, and online communities. Within this framework, public history initiatives are often developed in collaboration with historians trained in academic settings, as well as with authors, journalists, and local historians or independent scholars.
The aim of this course is to critically examine the diverse representations of the past and the different forms of memory in relation to the distinctive characteristics, methods, techniques, and discursive modes employed by each of these actors. Attention will be devoted to public memory as expressed through monuments and war landscapes; cinematic representations of specific historical periods and events; historical documentaries; business history; collective organizations and associations; museum collections and exhibitions with historical content.
Learning outcomes: Upon successful completion of the course, students are expected to
General Competences: The course is based on the analysis and synthesis of diverse source materials and encourages the development of original research ideas.
It highlights the role of public history in today’s globalized world, with particular emphasis on issues of identity.
The course fosters an interdisciplinary approach by drawing on methods and perspectives from history, social anthropology, geography, and visual culture.
Students develop knowledge and critical awareness of public history as an applied dimension of historical scholarship.
| Delivery: | Face to face | |
| Use Of Information And Communications Technology : | Extensive use of visual sources, power point and the network. Students have access to the page of the course in eclass | |
| Teaching Methods: | Activity | Semester workload |
| Lectures | 39 | |
| Preparation for oral presentation of texts | 21 | |
| Study of multimedia material | 20 | |
| Autonomous study of bibliography | 30 | |
| Final paper preparation | 40 | |
| Course total: | 150 | |
| Student Performance Evaluation: |
Student evaluation is based on class participation, oral presentation of texts and final paper. |
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Γιαννιτσιώτης, Γ. και Αλ.Τενεκεντζής (2026), Ίχνη στον χώρο. Η προσφυγική εμπειρία στη δημόσια μνήμη και ιστορία, Αθήνα: Πεδίο.
Εξερτζόγλου, Χ. (2020). Η δημόσια ιστορία. Μια εισαγωγή, Αθήνα: Εκδόσεις του Εικοστού Πρώτου.
Ανδρέου, Α., Κακουριώτης, Σ., Κόκκινος, Γ., Λεμονίδου, Ε., Παπανδρέου, Ζ., & Πασχαλούδη, Ε. (2015). Η δημόσια ιστορία στην Ελλάδα. Χρήσεις και καταχρήσεις της ιστορίας, Αθήνα: Επίκεντρο.
Γιαννιτσιώτης, Γ. (2010). «Ο Άρης Βελουχιώτης επιστρέφει στη Λαμία. Διαμάχες γύρω από έναν μνημονικό τόπο», στο Κώστας Γιαννακόπουλος, Γιάννης Γιαννιτσιώτης (επιμ.), Αμφισβητούμενοι χώροι στην πόλη. Χωρικές προσεγγίσεις του πολιτισμού, Αθήνα: εκδ. Αλεξάνδρεια, σ. 267-314.
Αθανασιάδης, Χ. (2008). Τα αποσυρθέντα βιβλία· Έθνος και σχολική Ιστορία στην Ελλάδα, 1858-2008. Αθήνα: Αλεξάνδρεια.
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| Δραστηριότητα | Φόρτος Εργασίας Εξαμήνου |
|---|---|
| Σύνολο Μαθήματος | 140 |
| Διαλέξεις | 40 |
| Ασκήσεις στην τάξη | 15 |
| Εκπαιδευτική εκδρομή | 10 |
| Αυτόνομη μελέτη στην διάρκεια του εξαμήνου | 45 |
| Μελέτη προετοιμασίας για τις εξετάσεις | 30 |
Αξιολόγηση Φοιτητών:
Η αξιολόγηση των φοιτητών/ριών γίνεται μέσω εξετάσεων με ερωτήσεις ανάπτυξης και αποκλειστικά στην ελληνική γλώσσα. Τα κριτήρια είναι προσβάσιμα για τους φοιτητές/ριες στην ηλεκτρονική πλατφόρμα του μαθήματος (e-class).