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The final chapter examines the question of how we should understand the European heritage today in the light of the issues opened up by 1989 and the subsequent crisis of European identity in the era of Brexit. The challenge for the present is whether it is possible or meaningful to speak of a common European tradition or heritage. In what sense should we understand the idea of "unity" or commonality today as a feature of the European heritage? Is it meaningful to speak of common values in post-modern times? The argument of the chapter, in essence, is that instead of a conception of culture as a system of common values, it is best seen in terms of a field of conflicting interpretations. The European heritage is a carrier of such ideas, which should not be seen as unifying master narratives, but as reference points that will often have different interpretations. The idea of Europe is a cultural model that has had a formative influence in the making of social identities and the diverse cultures of Europe. It is not a common culture but a framework of interpretation out of which a shared culture is possible. Europe did not emerge out of a single culture, but out of numerous exchanges and interactions. What are often seen as separated histories is in fact interconnected and entangled. The ideals of the post 1945 context have faded, and the brief optimism of 1989 has gone. Despite the crisis and discontents of the present, the idea of Europe is still a powerful cultural orientation in contemporary societies and offers a cultural model that challenges many identities, in particular those marked by a high degree of closure. It is possible to see four main narratives of the European heritage at work today: heritage as a shared political tradition, heritage as a unity in diversity, heritage as trauma and a cosmopolitan heritage. These are not purely speculative positions or merely academic constructions, but are variously present and debated in discourses about Europe.

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-95435-6_16

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