73

In Greece, military statues of unknown creators and contemporary cultural artifacts seldom coexist. Typically, monuments related to military history are situated within military facilities. However, an exception to this norm is the Army Park at Goudi in Athens, which was originally established in the early 20th century as a shooting range. Despite decommissioned military installations still occupying the vast, grass-covered terrain, the park today serves as the site of the National Glyptothèque. Visitors to the park will encounter monuments that testify to events of war, mainly from modern Greek military history, juxtaposed with sculptures of modern art. This unique coexistence of monuments commemorating either traumatic or glorious public memories and national symbols alongside modern works of art generates a distinctive environment. What representations emerge from this coexistence, and what stories can students tell during on-site visits? To answer these questions, our paper investigates the attitudes, opinions, judgments, and knowledge of primary school students cultivated during their visits to this memorial park. Concurrently, we emphasize the role of public history in Greek primary school history education while highlighting educational practices that translate students’ representations into historical thinking and knowledge. Our research comprised two visits to the park and the utilization of original questionnaires tailored to the requirements of our study.