ABSTRACT

This chapter outlines a West/East-European comparison of the role of national identities and collective memories in the process of European East-West integration. It provides (1) a theoretical argument for the case studies on European and national identities in this volume, by including the dimensions of a European civilizational identity and of embedded collective memories; (2) it highlights the common civilizational features of a European identity as reflected in the contributions in part one; (3) proposes a comparative framework in order to explain the variation in national identities and collective memories in Western and Eastern European countries; and finally, (4) outlines the effects of national identities and collective memories in Western and Eastern Europe upon the ongoing dynamics of European integration and its extension to the East.