Verschillende opvattingen over taak en wezen van geschiedschrijving

Abstract

Different Views on the Role and Nature of HistoryIn his defence of the documentary series De Oorlog [The War], Hans Blom stresses how recent studies, new source material and proven forms of presentation determined this renewed public history of the Second World War. In doing so, he and the television team would have managed to avoid political and moral positions. Instead, I emphasize that – since Hayden White at the latest – we know only too well how the selection and combination of any kind of information are crucial to the histories we present and the political/moral messages that are implied. This exchange reveals the substantial differences in our views on the role and nature of history and I hope it will stimulate more critical assessments of audio-visual histories.