Spomenici: Hauntological Spectra of Yugoslav Architecture

Abstract

This article explores Yugoslav monuments—spomenici—through the lens of hauntology and différance, framing them as spectral architectures where memory resists closure and meaning. Conceived as concrete affirmations of antifascist struggle and socialist solidarity, these structures now linger in an unsettled state: neither fully absorbed into the present nor entirely consigned to the past. Their ambiguous condition exposes the instability of collective memory, which is shaped as much by neglect and erasure as by acts of commemoration and reinterpretation.

The study aims to demonstrate how spomenici challenge conventional understandings of memorial architecture, which often presume stable or singular narratives. By applying deconstructionist theory, the analysis interrogates the ways in which meaning is destabilized, re-inscribed, and contested across socio-political and aesthetic contexts. Methodologically, the research combines theoretical analysis with selected case studies and a pedagogical experiment in model-making conducted at Graz University of Technology, where students engaged in hands-on explorations of form and symbolism.

The findings suggest that spomenici demand understanding of memorial architecture that moves beyond fixed narratives. The pedagogical case studies discussed here further illustrate how interdisciplinary methods—particularly those that foreground experimentation and dialogue—can uncover the multiplicity of meanings embedded within contested typologies.

The article concludes that a hauntological reading of spomenici highlights their value as critical resources for rethinking the politics of remembrance. Far from being static carriers of history, they persist as spectral presences that continue to unsettle dominant narratives and provoke new engagements with cultural memory.