ABSTRACT
Chapter 10 brings together the different strands of the book to propose some final thoughts concerning the role of heritage and memory in the production of different collectivities and forms of belonging that co-exist and clash. This is to say that the European ‘heritage demos’ can only ever fail as a project of total collectivisation, and indeed has the inherent liability to function as an object against which alternative collectivities are organised reactively and antagonistically. Drawing on audience research, the chapter exemplifies some of the different imaginations of Europe that co-exist tensely, as well as hidden histories that are formative for Europe and yet go unrecognised in heritage practice. The chapter concludes with suggestions for policy and practice to respond to the fundamental problem of negotiating shared and divided histories.
