The Stories Old Towns Tell: A Journey through Cities at the Heart of Europe

The book "Old Towns: A Journey Through Europe's Troubled Past" explores how historic towns in Europe have been used to conceal political tensions and reinforce certain versions of history since the Second World War. It uncovers hidden stories behind these old and old-seeming façades and offers a new understanding of the politics of European history-making, promoting belonging over exclusion and empathy over indifference.

Format: Hardback
Length: 344 pages
Publication date: 25 April 2023
Publisher: Yale University Press

Historic quarters in cities and towns across the middle of Europe were devastated during the Second World War—some, like those of Warsaw and Frankfurt, had to be rebuilt almost completely. They are now centers of peace and civility that attract millions of tourists, but the stories they tell about places, people, and nations are selective. They are never the whole story.

These old towns and their turbulent histories have been key sites in Europes ongoing theater of politics and war. Exploring seven old towns, from Frankfurt and Prague to Vilnius in Lithuania, the acclaimed writer Marek Kohn examines how they have been used since the Second World War to conceal political tensions and reinforce certain versions of history.

Uncovering hidden stories behind these old and old-seeming façades, Kohn offers us a new understanding of the politics of European history-making—showing how our visits to old towns could promote belonging over exclusion and empathy over indifference.

The book is a fascinating chronicle of the ways in which these old towns have been used to conceal political tensions and reinforce certain versions of history. It is a must-read for anyone interested in the politics of European history-making and the ways in which our visits to old towns could promote belonging over exclusion and empathy over indifference.

Weight: 648g
Dimension: 163 x 241 x 31 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780300267846