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- Convenor:
-
Mirjam Lücking
(LMU)
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- Format:
- Workshop
- Transfers:
- Closed for transfers
- Location:
- Seminargebäude S12
- Sessions:
- Tuesday 30 September, -
Time zone: Europe/Berlin
Short Abstract
This workshop discusses the changing accessibility and visibility of (European) Muslim heritage, including archival heritage, popular culture, public space, tourism and heritage sites and representations of heritage in mass media, schoolbooks, and the internet.
Long Abstract
While right-wing populists and parties gain support all over Europe with their claim that Islam does not “belong” to European societies, profound historical research has of course given evidence that Islam – or more precisely Muslim traditions, cultures and peoples – has played and continues to play a crucial role in European history. Nevertheless, the significance of Islam for the constitution of the continent’s social, cultural, economic and political life is often neglected and not adequately represented. A key issue in the ignorance about Europe’s Muslim traditions is the limited accessibility and visibility of European Muslim heritage. In recent years, this field has become more contested, with change agents on the one hand, who seek to promote the visibility of Islam and Muslim history in Europe, and deniers on the other hand, who reject all Islamic elements as what they label as “foreign intrusions”. In addition to these public negotiations, economic aspects of globalization, such as halal tourism, modest fashion or religious music, promote Muslim heritage and Muslim spaces as an economic asset.
The workshop is open for presentations on research in/about archives, museums, public space, popular culture, heritage sites and more broadly representations of history and heritage in entertainment, mass media, education, schoolbooks and online spaces.
Accepted contributions
Session 1 Tuesday 30 September, 2025, -Contribution long abstract
Granada, a city in Andalusia, Spain, is characterized by a number of contested heritage sites that reflect the complex negotiations surrounding historical memory and identity between Muslims and non-Muslims. The city's identity has been shaped by its legacy, which includes both the Islamic Al-Andalus period and the subsequent Christian Conquista. As a result, Granada embodies a cultural identity that is influenced by these historical eras. Muslims view Granada as a symbol of a Golden Age marked by coexistence and rich Islamic heritage, while non-Muslims, particularly Spanish Catholics, see it as a triumph of Christianization and national unity. This clash of historical interpretations creates a context in which different meanings are assigned to and commercialized through iconic sites like the Alhambra, where Islamic aesthetics are often depoliticized and romanticized for tourism, stripping them of their historical and religious significance. Reconciling these competing narratives is complicated by lingering colonial and nationalistic biases that favor dominant Christian-European interpretations. Granada's heritage highlights the need for an approach that is critical, respectful of its multicultural past, and sensitive to the power dynamics influencing contemporary narratives. Many Muslim tourists today seek to voice their concerns regarding this representation. This eight-month ethnographic research project aims to explore how Muslim tourists in Granada identify, articulate, and express their perspectives on this contentious heritage. The findings illustrate the significant role that various stakeholders play in maintaining the dominant Christian-European interpretation of these cultural assets.
Contribution short abstract
Dominant groups in Bulgaria monopolize memoryscapes, marginalizing Turkish-Muslim minorities. Museumification of mosques limits minority visibility, turning religious spaces into state-controlled sites. This study explores minority strategies to counter dominant narratives and assert cultural memory
Contribution long abstract
Dominant groups often monopolize the construction of memoryscapes, shaping collective memory to align with their ideologies. However, minority groups challenge these narratives through alternative strategies. In Bulgaria, the Turkish-Muslim minority faces significant barriers to establishing their memoryscapes due to limited political power. Efforts to assert visibility often provoke backlash from central authorities. Museums, historically tools of nation-building, continue to reinforce dominant ideologies and legitimize oppressive policies. In Bulgaria, regional museums in Kardzhali, Razgrad, and Smolyan serve as remnants of state-socialist policies that marginalized minorities. Recently, the Bulgarian state has intensified efforts to museumify Muslim religious spaces, converting mosques in Stara Zagora, Karlovo, and Kyustendil into museums. These policies aim not at preservation but at restricting these spaces' use as places of worship, limiting the spatial and cultural visibility of Turkish-Muslim communities. Drawing on eighteen months of fieldwork conducted between 2009 and 2023, this study examines how these museumification policies are used to control minority narratives and restrict their representation in the public sphere. It also explores the agency and strategies of Turkish-Muslim minorities to counter these hegemonic practices at regional, national, and transnational levels. The research highlights the politics of visibility and memory in contemporary Bulgaria, where dominant and minority groups contest cultural spaces and narratives.