What reasons and under what conditions does a school textbook become a subject of public controversy? And why does it end up being withdrawn every time such a controversy arises?
Starting from the ideological and political debate regarding the History book for the sixth grade (2006-2008), this study dissects four symbolic wars concerning four "heretical" textbooks. The narrative unfolds in reverse, from the present to the past, capturing the course taken by historical research.
Each controversy is a step, each step a chapter, until we return from globalized Greece to the early 20th century in Greece of militant nationalism. In all cases, the central issue was the nation-building role of our school History – the content, ultimately, of our national identity.
In all cases, the "heretical" (and ultimately withdrawn) books deviated significantly from the historical norm as it had been formed and established by the end of the 19th century. They stood out and provoked because they were something more or something different than a heroic and mournful song for the primeval, orphaned Greek nation.
The study concludes with a contrast: the most popular and long-lasting reading material of the 19th century is analyzed as a historical narrative, which significantly deviates from the norm, precisely because it was written and taught before it was completely established. Thus, it is demonstrated that our school History also has its own history.
