Places of Cosmopolitan Memory

To understand the significance of major global events that transcend national memory, Levy and Sznaider (2002) propose the concept of cosmopolitan memory. Here we examine the extent to which this concept can be applied to places rather than events. Based on a social survey of public attitudes toward World Heritage, we argue that a number of heritage sites have achieved a level of significance that makes them candidates for inclusion in cosmopolitan memories. Experience of the sites is frequently mediated through films, reading, and/or hearsay, although tourism is also an important source of information. While illustrative rather than conclusive, the data support Tomlinson’s suggestion (1999) that aesthetic cosmopolitanism may lead to an ethical cosmopolitanism, as these privileged Westerners consider the question of the conservation of outstanding sites in other nations.