Politics of Remembrance

The 13th edition of its European History Forum was held under the title: “80 Years of Narratives about the End of the Second World War”. How is the pivotal year 1945 remembered in the countries of Eastern and Southeastern Europe? 

Parts of Thailand's modern political history, about which nothing can be found in school textbooks, are being exhibited and preserved in an unconventional museum. All Thais should have their say there – not just important historical figures.

Namibia continues to grapple with the pervasive legacy of apartheid and colonialism. How can reconciliation look like and how can social cohesion be fostered after decades of racist oppression?

Memorials are more than memories cast in basalt and concrete; as reference points, they are sources of veneration and contempt, at the mercy of political interests and deliberate acts of manipulation.

"Different wars: National History Textbooks on the Second World War" - this was the title of a travelling exhibition by the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum. It toured 22 cities in the EU and Russia over the last four years. It showed how current textbooks for secondary schools depict the Second World War in Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and the Czech Republic. The short film accompanying the exhibition will be released on 7 May.