Literature and Cultural Heritage (original) (raw)

Literature as a cultural heritage can shape societies and individuals and create cohesion. Immaterial and material evidence of the past creates identity and meaning. They connect, form a point of reference in space and time and, according to UNESCO, have a universal value for all of humanity. However, cultural heritage also separates. Nations differentiate themselves with their heritage and mark differences to neighboring nation. Yet, neither societies nor their cultural heritage is static. They are in constant change. Every generation creates memories. The present flows into every image that emerges of the past. Literature as a medium also plays a major role in promoting cultural heritage. In their works, the authors reveal new worlds to the reader and introduce him to new cultures. This paper offers two different perspectives following the same conclusion, by presenting examples from novels by renowned authors such as Kazuo Ishiguro and Hanif Kureishi, as well as travelogues by German-language authors, that feature significant cultural heritage monuments, showing the cultural differences between Eastern and Western cultures, exploring the tensions and conflicts that arise from the clash of cultural values.