What is national memory? How do we create it? How can we change it?

National memory is a form of collective memory defined by shared experiences and culture. It is an integral part to national identity. ... According to Lorraine Ryan, national memory is based on the public's reception of national historic narratives and the ability of people to affirm the legitimacy of these narratives.The collective memories of a people can change over generations. ... Collective national memories are not fixed but change with the times. Collective remembering implies that collective forgetting also occurs, and we have studied such forgetting in a particular context: how rapidly presidents are forgotten.