Cypriot Memory in the Aftermath of British Colonialism
Restricted (Penn State Only)
- Author:
- Hadjieftychiou, Marilena
- Area of Honors:
- Comparative Literature
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Arts
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Scott Thompson Smith, Thesis Supervisor
Linda Istanbulli, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- colonialism
post-colonialism
Cyprus
England
Britain
United Kingdom
Grigoris Afxendiou
EOKA
Politics
mediterranean
War
Torture
Monuments
Memory
Liberation
Imperialism
Geopolitics
rememberance
politics - Abstract:
- This paper examines colonial rule in Cyprus, with a focus on the period of British control from 1878 to 1960 and its enduring consequences that continue to influence Cypriot lives to this day. Following Britain’s assumption of administrative control in 1878 and the designation of Cyprus as a Crown Colony in 1925, the colonial government restructured administration and daily governance while maintaining strict limitations on local political power. The analysis contends that the legacy of colonialism in Cyprus persisted beyond formal political change. This legacy endures in collective memory and in everyday practices through which remembrance occurs. Grigoris Afxentiou exemplifies this process: narratives of resistance are not confined to archives but circulate within families, reiterated in classrooms, and reenacted in public ceremonies, embedding the past in both private life and national consciousness. Sites of commemoration provide these narratives with a physical locus. The Machairas cave and the Liberty Monument, in particular, anchor memory within the landscape, intensifying the emotional and national resonance of earlier struggles by rendering them tangible. However, independence remains incomplete, as British sovereign base areas persist on the island, serving as a continual reminder that independence was never fully realized. Collectively, these elements demonstrate that colonialism in Cyprus remains an ongoing force, shaping contemporary understandings of identity and authority.
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