World champion in memory and past politics. The Chilean and German cases in comparison.

Abstract

This article compares the politics of memory and the past in Chile after the Pinochet dictatorship with Federal Germany after the II Word War. After a brief review of the most important measures taken by the governments in both countries to deal with the traumatic past, we underline some elements which were determining for the outcome and perception of the politics of memory and the past in both countries. Factors such as the years passing after the dictatorship, the international context, the conditions of the transitions processes and the public discourse seems be very important to have in mind before pronouncing a judgement about the politics of memory and the past.