Ruins have for a long time captured the human imagination and in one way or another have been
inscribed in a community's memory history or lore. This long-standing tradition concerning
ruins - be it real or imagined ancient or modern ones - has resulted in a multitude of
reflections and creative interpretations. The discourse on ruins steeped in tradition as it is
offers a unique vantage point to reflect upon their actual meaning in various societies and
disciplines by focusing on how they have been and still are often (mis)used and employed in
contemporary debates as powerful symbols and motifs. Tackling questions related to the
genealogies functions and interpretations of ruins in literary and artistic political and
legal philosophical and sociological discourses this book aims at moving the discussion
beyond the level of case studies. The contributors examine the perception of ruins and the
discourse on decay destruction and reconstruction from various disciplinary perspectives
referring to a multitude of ruin-related concepts such as 'longing' 'memory' 'trauma' and
'identity'.
