Lecture and Discussion on "The Freedom of Remembrance"
Which memories of freedom (or lack of freedom) do Europeans share? How important are these memories for the stability of a democratic Europe? And how do today’s young Europeans define freedom and democracy for themselves?
On the occasion of 30th Council of Europe Art Exhibition entitled “The Desire for Freedom. Art in Europe since 1945”, the German Historical Museum and the Körber Foundation invited guests to examine these questions. Marianne Birthler, the former Federal Commissioner for the Stasi Archives of the former GDR, gave a short lecture on “Freedom of Remembrance – is Europe heading towards a shared culture of remembrance?” She then exchanged thoughts with two Europeans – a young lady from Slovenia and a young man from Spain – about different experiences with dictatorship and the desire for freedom and democracy.
The event took place on 31 January, 2013, at 7 pm in the German Historical Museum in Berlin and wasbe moderated by Monika Flacke, curator of the exhibition.
Marianne Birthler knows the yearning for freedom: she grew up in the former GDR and ever since she was young she was involved in political, societal and church matters. In her introductory lecture, she addressed the liberty revolutions in the former Eastern Bloc. She contended that up until today, the western European culture of remembrance and a valuable part of western European identity is determined by the coming to terms with National Socialism.
In her view it is mandatory to add four decades of communism in the eastern European countries to the history books. Also, the continued processes coming to terms with experiences of dictatorships in Greece, Spain, and Portugal are necessary.
Ms Birthler explained that a common European culture whose core values are freedom and democracy, needs traditions of resistance and stories of liberation. In addition, insights gained in the eastern European countries during the transformation processes from dictatorship to democracy can help societies in today’s world after a dictatorship has come to an end.
Jorge Fernández Gómez, 18, described that in his parents’ house in Spain, the not too distant era of the Franco regime was discussed very little and hardly critical at all. Tamara Čakić, 22, also said that in her family in Slovenia, the Tito years and the civil war following his death were spoken about very little. In spite of the lack of liberties, there may be tendencies to romanticise past times because of the bad economical situation. But today’s generation does not share these tendencies. Tamara emphasised that even if all Europeans had a very diverse history and thus could not agree on a shared culture of remembrance, the desire for freedom and participation in the political processes of decision making would unite all Europeans.
Tamara and Jorge were two of 15 young Europeans who were invited by the Körber Foundation and the German Historical Museum to explore which democratic values matter in European reality and for themselves as citizens.
The 15 selected participants came from Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain.
Over the course of a four-day-workshop (27 January - 1 February 2013), the Eustory alumni, aged 18 to 26, discussed their ideas of freedom with experts in the German Historical Museum as well as in the Department of Foreign Affairs.
During the workshop Mare from Estonia conducted an interview with Sofia (Finland), Sławomir (Poland) and Darya (Belarus). You can read their views on freedom in general and freedom in their respective countries in the EUSTORY blog.