This chapter deals with the role of individual and collective memory in our understanding of history—our own personal history and the broader social and cultural history of nations and societies. The chapter tries to answer the fundamental question of why memory, history and the past are so important for us as human beings. Memory and the forming of an experience of the past and present dimension of our self is extremely important for our ability to function psychologically, culturally and socially. The chapter offers a definition and a discussion of different levels of the self and memory. It defines the role of narratives and emotions in historical genres, both fictional and documentary, and the importance of media for our understanding of the past.