Oral History und kollektives Gedächtnis: Für eine sozialhistorische Erweiterung der Erinnerungsgeschichte.

The concept of memory had great impact on cultural history during the last two decades.However, due to the influence of theorists such asMaurice Halbwachs and Pierre Nora, it is often used in a very limited way only: either as a denomination for collective interpretations of the past or as a synonym for historical myths. Individual memory is often construed as a mere function of such collective patterns of historical perception. Several studies using the method of oral history, though, have demonstrated the tensions and the discrepancies that can exist between individualmemory and hegemonic discourses of remembrance. In this paper, I will argue that the use of the oral history methodology bears a considerable social historical potential for the history of recollection and [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]