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    About 9th European Remembrance Symposium

    Memory and Identity in Europe: Present and Future

    The aim of the 9th European Remembrance Symposium is to discuss the role of history and memory in creating contemporary European identity. During this year’s event, special attention will be given to the mission, programme and best practices of institutions dealing with 20th-century European history.

    The diversity of European memory is a result of, among others, a long period marked by border changes and conflicts, dictatorships and acts of terror. Over the last decades, historical debates and memory politics in Europe have been particularly challenging. Different experiences in the East and West over the course of the 20th century have shaped an ambiguous memory setting. Historical discussions regarding East-Central Europe have been difficult and complex due to the experience of two totalitarianisms driven by Communist and National Socialist ideologies. The 2021 symposium in Estonia takes place 30 years after the dissolution of the USSR and in its aftermath a number of breakthrough events in the region marking the end of the Cold War. Occupied by the Russian and German Empires, Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia on several occasions in the last century, Tallinn is an example of Europe’s complex 20th-century history which has shaped the memory and identity of the people living across the entire region.

    Issues related to history and commemoration of certain events and historical figures have become increasingly prominent in academic, political and public discourse. Various institutions with a wide range of activities strive to take part in shaping public perception of history on local, regional, national and transnational levels. Amid a plethora of projects, some foster dialogue and greater understanding among Europeans, while others act as tools for promoting stereotypes or (re-)inflaming conflicts. In the light of the latest developments in the discussion about history and identity in Europe, we invite practitioners in the field of historical education to discuss their everyday challenges, including successful and failed projects. Furthermore, a special session will be devoted to short overviews (known as ‘turbo presentations’) of innovative projects dealing with European history and memory.

    After months of struggling against Covid-19, there is a hope that the Symposium, which was planned for 2020, will finally take place in Tallinn in October 2021.

    The main partners of this year’s edition are the Estonian Institute of Historical Memory and the Federal Institute for Culture and History of the Germans in Eastern Europe.

    Venue: Tallinn Creative Hub, Cauldron Hall
    Dates: 26 - 28 October 2021
    Languages: English & Estonian, simultaneous translation
    Contact: europeanremembrance@enrs.eu, maria.naimska@enrs.eu

    Debate 'Remembrance in Action'

    On the second day of 9th European Remembrance Symposium, a debate within the framework of the Conference on the Future of Europe was held entitled 'Remembrance in action: everyday challenges and recommendations for the future'.

    The participants represented four leading European institutions active in the field of historical education and commemoration: Oriol López-Badell on behalf of the European Observatory on Memories (EUROM), Rafał Rogulski for the European Network Remembrance and Solidarity, Constanze Itzel for the House of European History and Łukasz Kamiński for the Platform of European Memory and Conscience. The debate was moderated by Sergei Metlev, a member of the Board of the Estonian Institute of Historical Memory.

    The debate involved speakers presenting recommendations on European remembrance policy, as well as history and citizenship education, followed by an open discussion with the symposium's audience.

    Read the report

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    Read about the project

    The goal of European Remembrance Symposium is to exchange experiences and establish methods and forms of cooperation between institutions from different countries.


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    Partners

    Organisers
    logo of ENRS
    logo of Eesti Malu Instituut
    Partners
    logo of BKGE
    logo of UPN
    logo of Ambasada w Tallinnie
    logo of Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania to the Republic of Estonia
    logo of Balassi Institute Tallinn
    Participants of the Case Studies Session
    logo of Autoriteti për Informim mbi Dokumentet
    logo of Even Walls Have Ears
    logo of Auschwitz Museum
    logo of House of Terror Museum
    logo of The Mannerheim Museum
    logo of Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom
    Participants of the Debate 'Remembrance in action: everyday challenges and recommendations for the future'
    logo of EUROM
    logo of House of European History
    logo of Platform of European Memory and Conscience
    Funding
    logo of PL Ministry NEW LOGO 2021
    logo of DE Ministry
    logo of HU Ministry
    logo of SL Ministry
    logo of RO Ministry