Public Memory under Construction. Exploring Religion in the House of European History in Brussels

Located in the European quarter in Brussels, the House of European History (HEH) is a project which aims at developing a common historical knowledge of Europe. On the one hand, the museum intends to promote European identity by means of a shared memory; on the other, it seeks to establish itself as a place where citizens can interact with the »European idea«. The emphasis on the link between memory and history, conceived as a particular kind of knowledge involving past events, enlarges the plan of the HEH beyond the domain of mere epistemological reflection. The very name of the museum – »house« – suggests a familiar setting that affects individuals directly, by involving their personal identity, a »home«. By choosing to be a »house«, the HEH presents itself as a place where individuals can encounter their own »family« histories in order to »nurture commonality«. The chapter arises from an interdisciplinary discussion between philosophy and the study of religion, our respective fields of research. First, Carla Danani offers a philosophical reflection to frame the discussion on the temporal and spatial interconnections between the concepts of the past, the performativity of a museum visit, and public memory within the HEH. After-wards, Daria Pezzoli-Olgiati explores to what extent Europe’s diverse history of religion is mirrored in the museum’s narrative. We discuss the HEH as a place of memory, as a spatial performance of remembering3 a common historical European ground with a special focus on the role of religion, which is represented in the museum in an ambivalent way.