TATAR GRAVES IN MIDDLE GERMANY AS GERMAN-TATAR LIEUX DE MÉMOIRE
Mieste Hotopp-Riecke,
Institut für Caucasica-, Tatarica- und Turkestan-Studien (ICATAT),
Brandenburger Str. 9, 39104 Magdeburg, Germany,
Hotopp-Riecke@icatat.de.
The article presents an interesting material on the history of Tatar graves in Middle Germany. Based on the extensive analysis of the sources, it systematizes the data on the graves of the Tatars buried in Dippoldiswalde and Kleinbeucha, Saxony. The article focuses not so much on the presentation of historical facts, but rather on the spiritual component of this phenomenon. By reconstructing the history of the burials and analyzing legends and memories associated with these places, the researcher reveals the dynamics in the stereotypes developed by the local population with respect to the Tatars and Bashkirs. The article also notes the significance of “the Tatar graves” for regional culture and tourism infrastructure in Germany.
Key words: Tatars, historical memory, Middle Germany, Tatar graves, German-Tatar relationships.
