France-Algeria: First Meeting of the Commission of Historians
Five French historians must begin work alongside five Algerian peers on the colonial period, this Wednesday, November 22, 2023. The recommendation of the (Benjamin) Stora report taken up by Emmanuel Macron is taking shape, but the relationship between the two countries remains extremely sensitive. Read more
Early Modern Statehood and Society in the Ukrainian Lands: Forms and Concepts
The annual conference of the German-Ukrainian Historical Commission is organized in cooperation with the German Historical Institute Warsaw.
The organizational committee of the conference includes Prof. Dr. Miloš Řezník (German Historical Institute Warsaw), Prof. Dr. Yvonne Kleinmann (Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg), and Dr.Volodymyr Sklokin (Ukrainian Catholic University Lviv).
Conference venue: Deutsches Historisches Institut Warschau, Pałac Karnickich, Aleje Ujazdowskie 39, PL-00-540 Warszawa
Format: hybrid (online and offline participation possible)
Languages: English and Ukrainian
The German-Ukrainian Historical Commission is supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with funds from the Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany.
For organizational questions please contact:
duhk@lrz.uni-muenchen.de / +49 89 2180-3056
Historians Without Borders (HWB) organizes the first Mutual History Dialogue between Finnish and Estonian Historians, which discusses differences, similarities, and challenges of memory politics and interpretations of history in Finland and Estonia. Read more
"It’s shameful that it took so long before there was any understanding or reappraisal of the events, transparency about them, or acceptance of responsibility for them,"Minister Faeser said to the victims’ families, who had travelled to Munich for the 50th anniversary of the attack.
The Federal Government supports the victims’ families, who continue to this day to suffer as a result of what happened. "Finally, the events are being thoroughly examined by a German-Israeli commission of historians. This lays the foundation for a new and vital culture of remembrance,"
Faeser said. "It is true not only for this attack, but also for others, that we must treat people whose lives have been dramatically altered by attacks with greater empathy and support."
Read more here
After some progress in bilateral meetings was reported in April, now the Bulgarian co-chair declared the opposite to be true. One sticking point is conceptual difference over what history they are dealing with: while Bulgarians prefer"common history" whereas North Macedonians prefer "shared history." "The problem is that our colleagues are trying not to accept the term ‘common history.’When you do not accept the existence of a historical phenomenon that is even described in the Good Neighbour Agreement, because they are not talking about ‘common history’ but ‘shared history’, then there is an escape from the desire to make a serious critical analysis of one's own past. And this is the big problem." - pointed out Prof. Angel Dimitrov. Read more here
Read the April story here.
Benjamin Stora, a leading French authority on Algerian history, was commissioned by President Emmanuel Macron in 2020 to write a “report on the memory of the colonisation of Algeria and the Algerian War”. The report was submitted in early 2021 and puts forward a series of new initiatives that France could implement to pave the way for a “reconciliation of memories”.
Among other things, it calls for
On the question of writing a common history of Algier and France, Stora noted:
Clearly, these are two opposing visions that cannot be reconciled. But underneath these visions, there’s nevertheless a cultural mixing that has taken place, ties that have been forged, contact that has been established and a togetherness that has existed.... So, there’s still a history we can draw on, not as a way to bring about reconciliation, which cannot be, but to find common ground. If we tap into this history, we see that there are things that bridge us together and potential avenues for cooperation, and that allows us to envision a sort of future together, with the help of specific initiatives. These initiatives can take the form of paying tribute to those who were killed or went missing in the war, promoting literature, etc.
Click here for a full interview with Benjamin Stora
The bilateral group was established with regards to the 100 anniversary of Georgia’s proclamation of independence. The commission, which is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland and the University of Warsaw, will be functional until 2021 and study the history of Georgia-Poland bilateral relations. According to a press release from the Georgian Ministry of Defense after a visit by the group: "The mutual national interest of two countries and similarities in aspirations of Georgian and Polish people was evident even in the 19 century. The founders of the Democratic Republic of Georgia were educated in Poland. In 1917-1918 both nations gained independence. By the end of the last century, the diplomatic ties between Georgia and Poland were restored and for many years now, Poland remains as an active supporter for Georgia’s territorial integrity and Euro-Atlantic integration."
