THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO IN GERMAN COMMEMORATIVE PRACTICES IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE 19th CENTURY

Abstract

Based on different types of German press, the article examines the problem of the transformation of commemorative practices dedicated to the Battle of Waterloo in the 1st half of the 19th century. These practices were formed during the official anniversary celebrations on the occasion of the anniversary, which occurred on 18th of June. Also the process of celebrating this date itself in different German states is analyzed in the article, as well as the problems faced by the official authorities during the preparation to the celebrations and holding of them. The article reveals the goals pursued by the governments of the German lands, who decided to celebrate the anniversary of the battle and the changes that took place both in the ideological content of the holiday and in the perception of it by public consciousness. The contradictions are also highlighted, they caused as a reason for the gradual displacement of Waterloo from the memory of German society and the transformation of this day into a regional holiday for individual states. The author concludes that the Battle of Waterloo, as a potential place of memory for all German people, couldn’t realize its potential, unlike the Battle of Leipzig. By the middle of the century, Waterloo, as one of the most important symbols of the unification of all Germans, had turned into an event shaping the regional identity of only several German states.