ABSTRACT
The politics of memory is an intricate process consisting of several underlying parts and processes. These can in turn have their own constituent parts and processes, connected to each other by a web of interdependent relations, emphasizing the complexity of the politics of memory, an ongoing negotiation between different actors in a society. While memory has a central role in this process and a close relation to both identity and national narrative, it is history which, through its interpretation, provides the inherit power of the memories, even producing a new set of its own. An important factor for this interpretation is the level of democracy and its interaction with law and justice, especially in cases of past committed errors. This brings us to the key concept in this study, namely reconciliation, itself a synthesis of different elements, here identified as the trinity of recognition, responsibility and reparation. What roles do these different parts and processes play in the politics of memory and how are they related to each other? Which actors participate in this negotiation and how do they use these different parts to their own advantage? This chapter aims to describe the politics of memory through its constituent parts.
