Introduction "Contested Memories of the Difficult Past - Eastern Europe and Its History of the 20th Century" | bpb.de

With its partners the bpb has been organising the conference “Contested Memories of the Difficult Past. Eastern Europe and Its History of the 20th Century” in Kyiv to mark the 75th anniversary of the Babyn Yar massacre. The Hitler-Stalin Pact of 23 August 1939, the occupation of Poland by German troops only a few weeks later, the annexation of the three Baltic States by the USSR in 1940, the Third Reich’s invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, the terror of occupation, millions of dead soldiers and civilians, and the collaboration of local people with the Nazi regime – all of these represent contested, controversial and complex issues that continue to divide Central and Eastern European countries both politically and socially.

The conference addressed questions related to victimisation and responsibility, how art and culture are dealing with competing historical narratives, and the influence of the diaspora on practices of remembrance in post-socialist countries. It also discussed how discourses of remembrance and political decisions influence each other at the local and international level, and how transnational remembrance and genocide research can contribute to a critical view of the past in Eastern Europe. The conference also aimed at developing adequate strategies for making younger generations more aware of this topic.

• Produktion: 2016

• Spieldauer: 2 Min.

• hrsg. von: Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung

© 2016 Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung