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oa Leopold II en de vergeetput
Over vertaalde literatuur en cultureel geheugen
- Amsterdam University Press
- Source: Internationale Neerlandistiek, Volume 62, Issue 1, Jun 2024, p. 90 - 108
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- 01 Jun 2024
Abstract
This contribution delves into how the field of Dutch studies can be enriched through the interplay between Translation Studies and Memory Studies. Literature is recognized as a significant medium for cultural memory – the collective cultural practices of a community, shaping and expressing its relationship with the past in the present. Literature is also a tool to facilitate the creation of shared memories across cultures, notably through translation. I examine this premise with regards to Adam Hochschild’s book, King Leopold’s Ghost (1998), and its impact on Flemish colonial memory. The book swiftly attained canonical status upon its release, canonized as the work that awakened Belgians to their own history. It remains an indispensable reference in discussions and publications on colonialism. Hochschild’s mention that colonization was responsible for 10 million fewer Congolese citizens is the most frequently cited in this regard. While the facts Hochschild presents are not novel, his narrative style imbued them with lasting resonance, perhaps amplified by the fact that the author is not Belgian. When the book is mentioned, ‘forgetting’ is often also thematized, the book steers away from oblivion and towards remembrance. Examining the role of translated literature in cultural memory thus allows for a transnational perspective on Dutch-language reading culture. Literature contributes to shaping the cultural memory of a society, and in doing so, it is meaningful not only to focus on ‘native’ literature but also to broaden the horizon to encompass the full array of texts circulating within a society.