History: the past in the present

A symphony concert. A statue. These artworks of sculpture and music are charged with meaning in the context of war commemorations in Sarajevo today. The music is Haydn’s “God save the Emperor” and the statue is a monument to the assassin who killed the emperor’s heir. If you know anything about the outbreak of the First World War, you might feel a chilly shiver. The tensions live on.  Sarajevo divided in First World War commemorations. Knowledge questions for TOK: To what extent does history give us knowledge of the past, and to what extent does it give knowledge of the present?  OR To know the meaning of a work of art, is it necessary to know its social or historical context?

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