Will age ever weary the subject?

Discussion in 'Historiography' started by von Poop, Jul 5, 2009.

  1. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Smaller memorials will disappear no doubt but the BIG ones will stay.
    How old is Trajan's Column for instance, who pays for the upkeep of that ?
    Trajan's Column - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Something like Vimy Memorial will be the 20th Century version of that wouldn't it?
     
  2. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Aye, but at some point Trajan's column became a historical curiosity, preserved solely for that. I doubt it means much as a memorial to an emperor's wars to many that visit it, more an interestingly ancient thing.

    Looked it up, I see it's had a few statues decorate it's plinth, and now has St.Peter - would those that built it, or the man himself, have cared for that? New generations can often graft their own significance onto 'sacred' sites, to better reflect the mores of the day.
     
  3. Elven6

    Elven6 Discharged

    To put this into perspective, if the memorial, grave, etc can add to the local economy it will probably be maintained. If not odds are it might not be, I'm sure in villages and such memorials, graves, etc would remain largely maintained since they usually find a traditional value in such societies.
     
  4. Jaeger

    Jaeger Senior Member

    I don't think it will fade away. The second world war provided us with some of the greatest feats in human history for better and worse.

    Some of the military and political efforts continnue to be used in an educational manner in schools and institutions.

    Everywhere we look there is a sign from the war. From the shape or mentality of a country, to how we go about our daily lives.
     
  5. Za Rodinu

    Za Rodinu Hot air manufacturer

    Even over in this sunny corner of SW Europe old WW1 graves and monuments are still regularly tended and the most relevant ones get a ceremony IIRC on the April 9th, as a commemoration of the 4t Battle of Ypres which was the 2nd larges catastrophe for the Portuguese army.

    I suppose all these things will have to pass with time, what matters is that memory for the reasons why WW2 was fought will remain, it was no ordinary war.
     
  6. marcus69x

    marcus69x I love WW2 meah!!!

    the massive & deeply ingrained coverage of WW2.

    That's why I developed an interest in it.

    I don't know alot about other wars. Never really had an interest in them.
    Perhaps it's because the style of clothes, weapons and culture just simply doesn't appeal to me.

    Or maybe it's because there isn't enough coverage of it to get me interested in the first place.

    WW2 is plastered all over the place and we've all still got a living link to it.

    Perhaps in 200 years WW2 will be nothing but old history and forums will be discussing the World nuclear war, and a lot of what ifs? :rolleyes:

    Marcus
     
  7. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

    I think the interest will always be big. The American Civil War is a big interest in the States, so I understand.
    I hope that those old aircraft of that era can keep flying and spark off the young and in turn they want to learn about those brave men who flew them.
     
  8. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    it was no ordinary war.
    There's truth to that isn't there.
    Interesting to speculate just how different it was, and how (and why) that will affect it's fading, or not.

    On the planes, as Gage mentions, I wonder when they'll simply have to stop flying with any sort of original components. There's some that say they're too old to risk already. Will a point come when all you'll ever see is replicas.
     
  9. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    We get TV shows like Sharpe, Hornblower, films like Master & Commander now, 200 years on from the event, so no doubt in 2209 they'll be watching WW2 stuff.
     
  10. Elven6

    Elven6 Discharged

    There's truth to that isn't there.
    Interesting to speculate just how different it was, and how (and why) that will affect it's fading, or not.

    On the planes, as Gage mentions, I wonder when they'll simply have to stop flying with any sort of original components. There's some that say they're too old to risk already. Will a point come when all you'll ever see is replicas.

    There is always a enthusist crowd, I'm sure a group of people would be willing to build parts to then factory specifications for such a thing. Of course it won't be the same, but that's a given over time.
     
  11. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    It helps to have a few Vets still around
     
    von Poop likes this.
  12. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    It helps to have a few Vets still around
    Brian,

    I will second that. :D

    Regards
    Tom
     
  13. phylo_roadking

    phylo_roadking Very Senior Member

    The second was when we were visiting a War Collection place on holiday in Devon, we were followed around by a school group of very young children with there teachers and were understood to believe that they were there as WW2 is now on the curriculum.


    It was on the cirriculum twenty-seven years ago when I was doing my O-levels! I remember questions on the exam paper on WWII...the problem for US was that none of the TEACHERS could teach the subject! They were still stuck in the Irish/Industrial Revolution/1th century mindset...together with the school's stock of textbooks! :rolleyes:
     
  14. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    I dropped a lad from work home last week, in Bilzen next to the Albert canal. When I turned round at the end of the street I saw a 1930s Belgian pill box. He told me that when he was a kid (He's 24 now!) there used to be coach parties of Belgian veterans coming to look at them with their families but no-one comes any more and none of the youngsters around are interested in them.

    The twentieth century conflicts were the first where the graves of individuals became significant but can the CWGC really continue funding if nobody visits any more ?

    Oh, what the hell. We had the Jehova's Witnesses at the door yesterday and when my wife sent them packing, the miserable scrote called back "The end of the world is coming. Don't say you haven't been warned !":lol:
     
  15. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    It helps to have a few Vets still around

    Absolutely.
     
  16. Za Rodinu

    Za Rodinu Hot air manufacturer

    There is always a enthusist crowd, I'm sure a group of people would be willing to build parts to then factory specifications for such a thing. Of course it won't be the same, but that's a given over time.

    Exactly! Look at these, for instance :)

    STORMBIRDS presents the Me 262 Project

    [​IMG]
     
  17. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    Just two things that happened to me recently to add to this. The first was my wife's visit to a local small toy shop to by some plastic soldiers for my granson aged 6 who is into army stuff etc as many kids are and have always in my eyes been. The owner of the shop looked horrified when asked if they had any. He says we don't stock (that kind of thing) anymore in toy shops it's not right nowdays, needless to say my wife was a bit stuned when she told me!!

    Rob

    Rob, could you have held back a comment if you had been there?
     
  18. Recce_Mitch

    Recce_Mitch Very Senior Member

    It helps to have a few Vets still around

    Brian, You're right about that.

    Cheers
    Paul
     
  19. Rob Dickers

    Rob Dickers 10th MEDIUM REGT RA

    Rob, could you have held back a comment if you had been there?

    No Spidge exactly, needless to say we won't be going back there again (what an attitude)! I would like to have taken the man to the Normandy 65th or to Tank Fest to see the face's of the children.
    Rob
    :poppy:
     
  20. Elven6

    Elven6 Discharged

    Exactly! Look at these, for instance :)

    STORMBIRDS presents the Me 262 Project

    [​IMG]

    Now that's a dedicated group, even going as far as sharing specifications with the world! Groups like this will ensure our classic planes are kept in fit condition.
     

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