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Articles

Volume XLII, No. 1 Winter/Spring - Hiver/Printemps (2013)

“Memorial Constructions”: Representations of Identity in the Design of the Grand-Pré National Historic Site, 1907-Present

  • Michael Gagné
Submitted
May 9, 2013
Published
2013-04-01

Abstract

The recent designation of Grand-Pré as a UNESCO world heritage site has led to a new definition of the area based on its “universal” value. The complex history of the site, however, makes the concept of universality problematic. Grand-Pré has been characterized, over the years, by several identities that have been imposed on the landscape and on the monuments and features of the Grand-Pré National Historic Site. Although many historians have emphasized the role of Grand-Pré in Acadian identity formation, this article looks at how the site’s competing identities were both represented and challenged through the design of the park.