1 Time Will Bury in Oblivion An Introduction to Trauma and Nostalgia Srdjan Sremac and Lucien van Liere Feelings unspoken are unforgettable. Andrei Gorchakov in Nostalghia (1983, Andrei Tarkovsky) Abstract This chapter introduces the intertwined concepts of trauma and nostalgia, and their relationship with memory. Nostalgia encompasses individual and collective memory, longing for the past, reflections on the present, and political restoration ef forts. Trauma is depicted as an enduring wound. The chapter argues that in societies, collective traumas and nostalgic memories can be invoked to bolster the identity of ethnic, racial, and religious groups. The way atrocities are remembered, whether as traumatic or not, depends on the dominant narrative shaped by sociocultural representations. Therefore, the chapter also discusses portrayals of trauma and nostalgia in f ilm, media, and material objects, setting the stage for the volume’s contributions and suggesting future research directions. Keywords: memory; material culture; narratives; representation; f ilm Introduction The past few decades have seen the emergence of the research f ields of both trauma and nostalgia. This volume explores the implications of bringing the two together. If we acknowledge the important developments in studying the disruptive power of traumatic experiences, a profound reflection on the meaning of nostalgic longing and world-making for collective and individual identity is indispensable. To understand processes through Van Liere, L. & Sremac, S. (eds), Trauma and Nostalgia: Practices in Memory and Identity. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press 2024 doi: 10.5117/9789048559220_ch01