{"id":18182,"date":"2019-12-20T17:29:02","date_gmt":"2019-12-20T17:29:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/historiografija.hr\/?p=18182"},"modified":"2019-12-20T17:29:02","modified_gmt":"2019-12-20T17:29:02","slug":"respect-for-historical-memory-in-europe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/?p=18182","title":{"rendered":"Respect for Historical Memory in Europe"},"content":{"rendered":"

The board of transform! europe<\/em> launches the following open letter regarding the resolution ‘Europe must remember its past to build its future’, adopted by the majority of the European Parliament \u2013 rejected by the GUE\/NGL group.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The European Parliament joint motion for a resolution \u2013 approved by a large majority on 19 September \u2013 on the ‘Importance of European remembrance for the future of Europe<\/a>‘, is a wrongheaded political and cultural act and should be vigorously rejected.<\/p>\n

In the first place, it has to be said that it is not the province of an institutional or political organism to assert a specific reconstruction of history by majority decision. A use of history that wishes to impose a revisionist vision of the principal events of the last century to turn them into weapons in the current political battles should have no place in a true democracy.<\/p>\n

In the second place, the statements about the history of the twentieth century in the resolution contain unacceptable errors and unilateral distortions and visions. It asserts that the pact between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany, the 23 August 1939 Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, ‘paved the way to the outbreak of the Second World War’. This omits any reference to the enabling behaviour of the liberal democracies in the face of Nazi expansionism, which dates at least from the invasion of Ethiopia (1935) and the Spanish Civil War triggered in support of General Franco\u2019s extreme right coup (1936) and continued with the ‘Anschluss’ of Austria to Germany on 12 March 1938, the appeasement at Munich (1938) and the consequent dismembering of Czechoslovakia not only by Germany but also by Poland and Hungary.<\/p>\n

Moreover, the resolution does not mention the enormous contribution to the victory over Nazism, decisive for the very fate of Europe and of humanity, made both by the Soviet Union (with more than 20 million dead) and by those who, everywhere in Europe and the world, often guided by the ideals and symbols of the various currents of the international communist movement, fought Hitler\u2019s troops and those allied to him. It ‘forgets’ Altiero Spinelli, Italian Communist and political prisoner between 1927 and 1943 and co-author of the Manifesto of Ventotene who is widely known as one of the founding fathers of the European integration and therefore rightly became name giver to one of the buildings of the European Parliament.<\/p>\n

It manages to mention Auschwitz without saying that it was the Soviet army that liberated it and the prisoners destined for extermination. Or it deliberately forgets that in many countries (among them France and Italy but not only) the communists were the principal component of the Resistance to Nazism\/fascism, making a major contribution to its defeat and the rebirth in those countries of a constitutional democracy that reaffirmed political, trade-union, cultural, and religious freedoms. Not to mention the decisive support that communist states and communist ideals gave to the liberation of entire peoples from colonial oppression and sometimes slavery.<\/p>\n

Remembering these facts, which the resolution culpably omits, does not mean ignoring and being silent about the disgraceful aspects of what is generally called \u2018Stalinism\u2019, about the errors and horrors that also occurred in that camp. But these cannot erase a fundamental distinction: While Nazism\/fascism, in giving birth to a ruthless dictatorship and in cancelling every space of democracy, liberty, and even humanity, in persecuting, including through proclaimed and planned extermination, religious, ethnic, cultural, and sexual minorities, was merely attempting to put into practice its openly proclaimed programmes, the communist regimes before and after the war, when they defiled themselves through grave and unacceptable violations of democracy and liberty, were by contrast betraying their own ideals and values and promises they had made. All of which needs to generate questions, reflections, and investigations but \u2013 taken together with the contribution made by activists and by the USSR to the defeat of Nazism \u2013 in no way permits the equating of Nazism and communism at the heart of this resolution of the European Parliament nor the identification, as occurs several times in the motion, of communism and Stalinism in view of the great variety of currents of thought and political experience to which the former gave birth.<\/p>\n

These falsifications and omissions cannot be made the basis of a ‘shared memory’, still less become the basis of a common history syllabus in schools, as the motion recommends. It cannot become the platform for a ‘European day of remembrance for the victims of totalitarian regimes’ asked for by the motion. Nor can it provide the motivation for removing \u2018commemorative monuments and places (parks, squares, streets, etc.), which, with the excuse of a struggle against an indistinct totalitarianism, is in reality an invitation to erase the clear and transparent pages of the history of those who contributed, through their own sacrifice, to defeating Nazism and fascism.<\/p>\n

We note that the European Parliament\u2019s motion necessarily contains unavoidable gestures at balancing its main thrust by affirming the wish to struggle against the \u2018reversion to fascism, racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance\u2019. But these justified calls to struggle against racism and fascism cannot be based on a distorted and even false use of history or on the declared intention to sever the roots of a fundamental component of anti-fascism, that is, the communist component. The peoples of Europe must not permit this.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.transform-network.net\/blog\/article\/respect-for-historical-memory-in-europe-2\/<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18183,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18182","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-novosti","category-rasprave"],"acf":{"facebook_opis":""},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historiografija.hr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/befreiung_auschwitz.jpg?fit=460%2C267&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":52622,"url":"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/?p=52622","url_meta":{"origin":18182,"position":0},"title":"Annual CAPONEU conference: Political Novel in Europe Between Democracy and Authoritarianism","author":"Branimir Jankovi\u0107","date":"23. travnja 2026.","format":false,"excerpt":"Caponeu event 22.04.2026 - 24.04.2026 Location: The Faculty of Polish and Classical Philology AMU (Fredry 10, Pozna\u0144)Organized by: Tomasz Mizerkiewicz, Krystyna Pieni\u0105\u017cek-Markovi\u0107, Anna Gawarecka, Ewa Szperlik, Magda Potok, B\u0142a\u017cej Warkocki, Gerard Ronge (all Adam Mickiewicz University in Pozna\u0144)Contact: gerron@amu.edu.pl The Adam Mickiewicz University team, as part of the international CAPONEU\u2026","rel":"","context":"U "Novosti"","block_context":{"text":"Novosti","link":"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/?cat=3"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historiografija.hr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Caponeu-political-novel.jpg?fit=500%2C261&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":52641,"url":"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/?p=52641","url_meta":{"origin":18182,"position":1},"title":"CfP: WHO OWNS THE PAST? VERNACULAR MEMORY, STATE MEMORY, AND THE POLITICS OF OWNERSHIP","author":"Branimir Jankovi\u0107","date":"24. travnja 2026.","format":false,"excerpt":"VIENNA, 31ST AUGUST\u20133RD SEPTEMBER 2026 (DEADLINE: 24TH APRIL 2026) The Center for Austrian Studies at the European Forum at the Hebrew University and the Austrian Academy of Sciences\/Institute of Culture Studies invite early postdocs, PhD candidates, and advanced Master\u2019s students from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and universities and academic\u2026","rel":"","context":"U "Novosti"","block_context":{"text":"Novosti","link":"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/?cat=3"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historiografija.hr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/hsozkult.png?fit=1006%2C241&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historiografija.hr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/hsozkult.png?fit=1006%2C241&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historiografija.hr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/hsozkult.png?fit=1006%2C241&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historiografija.hr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/hsozkult.png?fit=1006%2C241&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":52664,"url":"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/?p=52664","url_meta":{"origin":18182,"position":2},"title":"CfP: CONFERENCE OF THE HISTORY OF CONCEPTS GROUP, HELSINKI, 19TH\u201321ST AUGUST 2026 (DEADLINE: 30TH APRIL 2026)","author":"Branimir Jankovi\u0107","date":"24. travnja 2026.","format":false,"excerpt":"The annual conference of the History of Concepts Group is held at the University of Helsinki, 19-21 August 2026. Conference of the History of Concepts Group Conceptual history studies the use of concepts and tries to understand how historical actors have linguistically articulated views of the world. Studying concepts from\u2026","rel":"","context":"U "Novosti"","block_context":{"text":"Novosti","link":"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/?cat=3"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historiografija.hr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/hsozkult.png?fit=1006%2C241&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historiografija.hr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/hsozkult.png?fit=1006%2C241&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historiografija.hr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/hsozkult.png?fit=1006%2C241&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historiografija.hr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/hsozkult.png?fit=1006%2C241&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":52643,"url":"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/?p=52643","url_meta":{"origin":18182,"position":3},"title":"BRACEWELL TRAVELLING SCHOLARSHIP\u202fFOR PHD STUDENTS (DEADLINE: 30TH APRIL 2026)","author":"Branimir Jankovi\u0107","date":"24. travnja 2026.","format":false,"excerpt":"The Bracewell Travelling Scholarship\u202fis funded by a gift from SSEES Emeritus Professor of History Wendy Bracewell, whose research examines South Slav history, and travel writing in eastern Europe. The Scholarship honours the long tradition of mutual curiosity between the UK and eastern, central and southeastern Europe by supporting PhD students\u2026","rel":"","context":"U "Novosti"","block_context":{"text":"Novosti","link":"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/?cat=3"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historiografija.hr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Bracewell-Travelling-Scholarship-.webp?fit=980%2C700&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historiografija.hr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Bracewell-Travelling-Scholarship-.webp?fit=980%2C700&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historiografija.hr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Bracewell-Travelling-Scholarship-.webp?fit=980%2C700&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historiografija.hr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Bracewell-Travelling-Scholarship-.webp?fit=980%2C700&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":52516,"url":"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/?p=52516","url_meta":{"origin":18182,"position":4},"title":"Marko Grde\u0161i\u0107, Mislav \u017ditko, \u201eSocialist Economics in Yugoslavia: A Critical History\u201c","author":"Branimir Jankovi\u0107","date":"17. travnja 2026.","format":false,"excerpt":"This book presents a critical history of Yugoslav socialist economics, from its inception in the late 1940s to its dissolution in the late 1980s. After the dramatic break with the Soviet Union in 1948, Yugoslavia found itself in urgent need of a third way: A socialist trajectory which would not\u2026","rel":"","context":"U "Knjige"","block_context":{"text":"Knjige","link":"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/?cat=8"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historiografija.hr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Zitko_Grdesic.jpg?fit=350%2C535&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":52531,"url":"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/?p=52531","url_meta":{"origin":18182,"position":5},"title":"Jonathan G. Leslie, \u201eFear and Insecurity: Israel and the Iran Threat Narrative\u201c","author":"Branimir Jankovi\u0107","date":"17. travnja 2026.","format":false,"excerpt":"Why is Israel\u2019s former ally Iran now perceived as the country\u2019s greatest threat? Description To observers of the Iran-Israel conflict, its vitriolic rhetoric might suggest an ancient hatred between Jews and Muslims\u2013a biblical feud dating back hundreds, or thousands, of years. But this rivalry is a far more modern development.\u2026","rel":"","context":"U "Knjige"","block_context":{"text":"Knjige","link":"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/?cat=8"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/historiografija.hr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Leslie.jpg?fit=391%2C612&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18182","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18182"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18182\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18184,"href":"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18182\/revisions\/18184"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/18183"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/historiografija.hr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}