This study explores memory activism and emotion during the 1989 Romanian Revolution, addressing a gap in existing memory studies on this event. Drawing on 60 video interviews with participants in the revolution, the study uses a deductive approach to examine how personal narratives serve as memory activism. Integrating the history of emotions with memory activism, we analyze how witnesses were emotionally mobilized during and after the revolution. We show how the shift from collective euphoria to post-revolutionary disillusionment shapes participants’ search for mnemonic justice. Memories of fear transitioned into memories of revenge against former communist leaders, then further into disappointment with post-revolution leaders. These memories, as “truth stories,” expose unresolved social justice issues in post-communist Romania, especially concerning responsibility for the 1989 events and obligations to victims. This study offers a broad perspective on memory activism and uniquely contributes to understanding post-communist transitions by demonstrating how individual testimonies shape collective memory and challenge dominant narratives.
Satmari et al. (Thu,) studied this question.