ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the challenges for materialising, remembering and exhibiting the Cold War, comparing approaches to preserving, valuing and opening such sites and museums to the public in Eastern and Western Europe. The Cold War is still within living memory and is also moving into history; at the same time, the Cold War is often described as an “imaginary war” that presents unique challenges for materialising it. This chapter frames the research in a way that reflects the role of museums and heritage sites as active agents in the construction of political, public and academic knowledge. They hold the power to shape cultural memory by legitimising interpretations through their authority and influencing societal and individuals coming to terms with the past.
