Spinalonga: Memory, Heritage, and the Struggle Over a Shared Past

07/07/2025 41 min

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Episode Synopsis

In this episode of the GLAMMONS podcast, Mina Dragouni and Katerina Konstantinou explore the layered history and evolving heritage of Spinalonga, a small islet off Crete once used as a leper colony. Through archival insights, fieldwork, and public memory, they unpack how the island’s difficult past became a national monument and tourist hotspot. The conversation addresses the tensions between tourism, preservation, and local agency, asking: Can heritage become a shared resource? And what does “commoning” a site like Spinalonga really mean?This podcast series, in two episodes, was produced as part of the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation on Cultural Heritage and Cultural and Creative Industries Programme, funded by the European Commission.  Across these episodes, we’ve journeyed from Crete, exploring the layered history of Spinalonga, to Belgrade, where we delved into the vibrant cultural Commons of Magacin. We hope these stories of GLAMs inspire new ways of thinking about shared cultural resources and their role in shaping our communities. Thank you for joining us, and we look forward to continuing the conversation. We invite you to learn more about these inspiring initiatives on the project’s website: www.glammons.eu.Interviews by Mina Dragouni, Ivan Manojlović, Katerina Konstantinou and Olja NIkolić KiaTechnique: Luca Marie TüshausText by: Ares KalandidesFunded by: the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the EU nor REA can be held responsible for them.

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