The Two Faces of Memory: Oluja as Chosen Glory and Chosen Trauma

Year 2026, Volume: 14 Issue: 1 , 122 - 148 , 02.04.2026

Berna Akbay

https://doi.org/10.14782/marmarasbd.1789686

https://izlik.org/JA77FL96GR

Abstract

Collective memory is a dynamic phenomenon that concerns how the past is recalled and how group identity is constructed through the meanings attributed to historical events. This study applies Vamık D. Volkan’s concepts of “chosen trauma” and “chosen glory” from large-group psychology to analyze how the 1995 Operation Oluja (Storm) has been constructed in opposing ways within Croatian and Serbian collective memories and examines how these narratives have been reproduced over time. This study employs qualitative comparative analysis to examine commemorative ceremonies, sites of memory, leaders’ discourses, educational materials, media representations, and legal documents. The findings reveal that the same historical event has been transformed into a symbol of national unity and victory in Croatian society, while in Serbian society it has become a collective trauma associated with forced displacement and loss. These contrasting interpretations have been sustained through shifting emphases across different political and social periods. The study demonstrates how such opposing memory regimes shape both the conscious and unconscious dimensions of collective identity, contributing to the literature on Balkan memory studies and offering an original example of the systematic application of psychoanalytic concepts in collective memory studies.

Keywords

Collective memory , Chosen trauma , Chosen glory , Vamık D. Volkan , Operation Oluja , Identity-based conflict

Hafızanın İki Yüzü: Seçilmiş Zafer ve Seçilmiş Travma Olarak Oluja

https://izlik.org/JA77FL96GR

Abstract

Kolektif hafıza, geçmişin nasıl hatırlandığını ve bu hatırlama pratikleri aracılığıyla grup kimliğinin nasıl kurulduğunu belirleyen dinamik bir alandır. Bu çalışma, Vamık D. Volkan’ın büyük grup psikolojisi kuramındaki “seçilmiş travma” ve “seçilmiş zafer” kavramlarını kullanarak, 1995’teki Oluja (Fırtına) Operasyonu’nun Hırvat ve Sırp kolektif hafızalarında nasıl zıt biçimlerde inşa edildiğini ve bu anlatıların zaman içinde nasıl yeniden üretildiğini analiz etmektedir. Araştırmada nitel karşılaştırmalı analiz yöntemiyle anma törenleri, hafıza mekânları, lider söylemleri, eğitim materyalleri, medya ve hukuki belgeler incelenmektedir. Bulgular, aynı tarihsel olayın Hırvat toplumunda ulusal birlik ve zaferin simgesine, Sırp toplumunda ise zorunlu göç ve kayıplarla özdeşleşen bir travmaya dönüştüğünü ve bu karşıt anlamlandırmaların farklı dönemlerde farklı vurgularla sürdürüldüğünü ortaya koymaktadır. Çalışma, bu karşıt hafıza rejimlerinin kolektif kimliğin hem bilinçli hem de bilinçdışı boyutlarını nasıl biçimlendirdiğini göstererek Balkan hafızası literatürüne katkıda bulunmakta ve psikanalitik kavramların kolektif bellek incelemelerinde sistematik kullanımına özgün bir örnek sunmaktadır.

Keywords

Kolektif hafıza , Seçilmiş travma , Seçilmiş zafer , Vamık D. Volkan , Oluja Operasyonu , Kimlik temelli çatışma

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