Controversial Heritage should unite, not divide us
Heritage is never simple.
It is the product of extraordinary human activity and powerful human emotion. This means by definition that there is never just one side to the coin.
I was born and raised in Austria but moved to the UK at the age of 21. I'm constantly surrounded by reminders of just how differently the events of, say, WWII are remembered. In the UK, a celebration of the righteous and selfless defeat of evil; in Austria, a matter of institutionalised shame and guilt. Neither side is wrong, but neither side tells the whole story, either.
And of course, some aspects of history are more controversial than others.
But while we rarely get to change history, it is important to remember that heritage does go with the times. Societies change, we gain new insights and our worl...
