Project Title: ANR RUINES: Usages politiques et sociaux des ruines de guerre
Acronym: ANR RUINES
Coordinator / Supervisor: Professor Stéphane Michonneau (University of Lille) / Professor Georgios Papaioannou (Lead Researcher for Distomo)
Type of Funding: Interdisciplinary Research Grant
Funding Source: French National Research Agency (Agence Nationale de la Recherche – ANR)
Dates: 2020 – 2025
Project website
Project overview
The ANR RUINES project, funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR), is an interdisciplinary research initiative that examines the political, social, and economic uses of war ruins. The project explores how sites of Nazi atrocities have been preserved, memorialized, or repurposed in the post-war era, evolving into symbols of national identity and “memory tourism.”
Key Case Studies:
– Oradour-sur-Glane (France)
– Marzabotto (Italy)
– Lidice (Czech Republic)
– Distomo (Greece)
Project Team & Contribution:
The project is led by historian Stéphane Michonneau (University of Lille). A key member of the scientific team is Georgios Papaioannou, Professor of Museology and Digital Cultural Heritage at the Ionian University. Professor Papaioannou coordinates the research for the Distomo case study, focusing on the museological management of the site, the digital preservation of its history, and the local perceptions of the ruins left by the June 10, 1944 massacre.