Studying the historical memory of a war

The War of the Pacific, historical memory and difficult cultural heritage

My thesis studies the historical memory of the War of the Pacific (1879-1884) in Chile. The War of the Pacific, a conflict in which Chile fought Peru and Bolivia over natural resources in the Atacama Desert, remains an important war for the three countries that fought in it. After their loss, Peru and Bolivia lost parts of their territory to Chile which, among other things, resulted in Bolivia becoming landlocked. The shadow of the war is thus palpable in all three countries - most recently in the 2010s, both Peru and Bolivia took Chile to the International Court of Justice in The Hague over the sea issue - but the historical memory of the war takes on a very positive and romanticized tone in Chile. I thus use the memory of the War of the Pacific in Chile as a way to study larger questions about how societies remember a violent past that dates back more than a hundred years and the paradox of "good violence".

With an interdisciplinary approach

Memory studies is an incredibly interdisciplinary field that draws from social sciences, sociology, psychology, anthropology, literature, critical heritage studies and, as in my case, history, among others. I cannot avoid working interdisciplinary. Although my thesis is strongly rooted in history with a specific perspective from historical studies, I work interdisciplinary with method and theory - especially from fields such as museum studies, anthropology, and critical heritage studies.

Critical heritage studies with a focus on memories, monuments and museums

My thesis consists of four empirical sub-studies, three of which have a direct connection to cultural heritage. Among other things, I analyze museum exhibitions, statues and monuments as well as memorial ceremonies as a way to study how state-sanctioned violence and war are represented and spread among the Chilean population.

I also examine disputes surrounding the memory of the War of the Pacific. Between 2019 and 2021, a major dispute occurred over the General Manuel Baquedano statue in downtown Santiago during the great Chilean protest wave that occurred during the same period. I have dedicated a whole sub-study to investigating the dispute and what ultimately happened to the statue.

Possibilities and challenges

The heritage aspect in my work has broadened the focus of my thesis and made it possible to reach elements that have otherwise been overlooked in previous research. By going beyond the archives and out into the streets, into museums and among memorial environments, it has been possible to broaden my investigation and draw stronger conclusions.

At the same time, challenges arise when each sub-study draws from a specific field. Finding an overarching survey design and methodology has been one of the bigger challenges I've encountered.

Affiliation with CCHS provides access to networks

I think CCHS can be invaluable for me as a PhD student to reach out with my research and be able to access networks that I wouldn't otherwise know about. I would like to get in touch with people interested in similar research. I also have a great interest in museums and would like to establish contacts with museums and people in the museum world. Here, the collaboration platform Heritage Academy (Kulturarvsakademin) can act as a way for that.