5 June, 2012

European Parliament, Brussels

Under the auspices of Ms Sandra Kalniete (LV), Mr László Tökés (RO), Mr Tunne Kelam (EE),
Mr Milan Zver (SI), Mr Vytautas Landsbergis (LT), Mr György Schöpflin (HU),
Mr József Szájer (HU), Mr Paweł Robert Kowal (PL), Ms Monica Luisa Macovei (RO),
Mr Olle Schmidt (SE), Ms Anna Ibrisagic (SE), Ms Radvilė Morkūnaitė (LT), Mr Marek Migalski (PL),
Mr Hans-Gert Pöttering (DE) and Mr Jerzy Buzek (PL),
Members of the European Parliament

about the conference

programme

partners

For registration to attend the conference, please print, fill in and e-mail the form below:

registration form

The Declaration 2012 was adopted on 17 January, 2012 in Prague by representatives of 17 associations of victims of totalitarianism from the Czech Republic in the presence of Ambassadors (or their representatives) of European countries belonging to the former region of Soviet communist influence.

Further signatories are welcome to join the Declaration by sending an e-mail with the text
“We support the Declaration 2012: name of the organisation, address, name of the statutory representative“
to the e-mail address jar.muller@seznam.cz.

Signatories as of 11 May, 2012 (39):

BG
Hannah Arendt Center – Sofia, Citizen initiative for dismantling of the soviet army monument in Sofia, Association for free speech “Anna Politkovskaya”, SPCB – Association of holders of Bulgarian government compensation bonds, Bulgarian association for art therapy

CZ
Akademický klub 48 Brno (Academic club 48 Brno), Asociace soukromého zemědělství České republiky (Association of private farmers in the Czech Republic), CAROLINUM – Spolek absolventů a přátel Univerzity Karlovy (CAROLINUM – society of alumni and friends of the Charles University), Český svaz technických praporů (Czech association of technical units), Dcery 50. Let (Enemy’s daughters), Klub Dr. Milady Horákové (Milada Horáková club), Konfederace politických vězňů České republiky (Confederation of political prisoners of the Czech Republic), Křesťanské akademické fórum Praha (Christian academic forum Prague), Orel (Eagle), Pražský akademický klub 48 (Prague academic club 48), Sdružení křesťanských seniorů (Association of Christian seniors), Společnost Antonína Švehly (Antonín Švehla society), Společnost Edvarda Beneše (Edvard Beneš society), Svaz občanské sebeobrany České republiky (Association for civic self-defence, Czech Republic), Svaz PTP-VTNP České republiky (Association of the auxiliary technical units – military forced labour camps), Svaz vlastníků půdy (Association of landowners), Umění bez bariér (Art without barriers)

DE
Stiftung Sächsische Gedenkstätten (Saxon Memorial Foundation), Sächsischer Landesbeauftragter für die Stasi-Unterlagen (Saxon state commissioner for the Stasi records), Gedenkstätte Berlin-Hohenschönhausen (Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial)

LT
Lietuvos politinių kalinių ir tremtinių sąjunga (Lithuanian union of political prisoners and deportees), Lietuvos politinių kalinių ir tremtinių bendrijos (Lithuanian community of political prisoners and deportees), Lietuvos politinių kalinių sąjunga (Lithuanian Union of political prisoners), Movement for the fight for liberation of Lithuania, Union of the insurgents of 22-28 June, 1941, Union of the families of Lithuanian soldiers – victims of the Soviet and Nazi genocide, Lituhanian union of freedom fighters, Brotherhood of 13 January – defenders of Lithuanian independence, Association of participants of the fight for freedom, the Kolyma society, Laptevų jūros tremtinių brolija „Lapteviečiai“ (Brotherhood of deportees at the the Laptev sea), Lietuvos gyventojų genocido ir rezistencijos tyrimo centras (Genocide and resistance research centre of Lithuania)

LV
Latvijas okupacijas muzeja biedriba (Occupation Museum Association of Latvia)

SI
Nova slovenska zaveza (New Slovenian commitment)

During his stay, Mr Lindblad had meetings with former President Mr Petar Stoyanov, with young historians studying the Communist dictatorship, with psychotherapists working with torture victims of the Communists and with several associations of former political prisoners of the Communist regime. At a press conference held today, the international appeal of former political prisoners and victims of the Communist regimes “Declaration 2012” was presented. Mr Lindblad informed journalists about the upcoming conference organized by the Platform of European Memory and Conscience called “Legal Settlement of Communist Crimes” which will take place on 5 June, 2012 in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Göran Lindblad also explained the position of the Platform on the membership application of the Bulgarian committee COMDOS (see press release of the Platform from 21 February, 2012). The only official institution providing access to the Communist regime’s state security documents is facing strong criticism by the victims of the Communist regime for its limited scope and its personnel composition. Only a few days ago, the Bulgarian Parliament amended the Act on COMDOS. Until now, it was prohibited for former political prisoners to become members of the committee.

Interview with Göran Lindblad on Europa TV on 24 March, 2012

Prague
 /
 Strasbourg,
 21
 February,
 2012. To 
the
 knowledge 
of
 the
 Platform,
 COMDOS is
 led 
by
 persons
 who 
served 
the 
totalitarian
 regime.
 This 
is 
in
 violation
 of
 the 
Code 
adopted
 by 
the 
founders 
of
 the
 Platform.

The
 nine‐member
 Committee
 includes 
several 
persons
 who
 actively 
served
 and
 supported 
the 
totalitarian 
Communist 
regime. 
This 
represents 
a 
violation 
of 
the Code 
of
 the
 Platform
 adopted 
by
 the 
20
 founding 
member 
institutions 
and
 organisations 
from
 13
 EU
 Member 
states.

The 
Platform 
of
 European
 Memory 
and
 Conscience
 sent
 a
 letter 
to 
Mr
 Boyko 
Borisov, Prime 
Minister
 of 
Bulgaria,
 asking
 for 
an 
explanation 
how 
the 
Chairman
 of COMDOS could
 have 
signed 
the
 ethics
 Code 
of
 the 
Platform 
given
 the
 fact 
that 
he 
himself 
was
 an officer 
of
 the
 Communist 
regime`s
 Peoples`
Militia
 until
 1989.

Similar
 letters 
have
 also 
been 
sent
 to 
the 
President
 of
 the 
Parliament,
 the Minister 
of Foreign 
Affairs
 and 
the
 Minister
 of 
Interior 
of 
the
 Republic
 of
 Bulgaria.

Attachments:

Code of the Platform

letter to Prime Minister Borisov from 13 February, 2012

During the two-day constituting meeting hosted by the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes, the 20 founding Members discussed the final wording of the Agreement establishing the Platform and the Statute of the Platform and elected the President, the Executive Board and the Managing Director of the Platform. Suggestions were made for the Board of Trustees and for the Supervisory Board of the Platform. The founders unanimously awarded the first new Membership in the Platform to the Stiftung Sächsische Gedenkstätten from Germany. The solemn signing of the Agreement Establishing the Platform of European Memory and Conscience and the Statute of the Platform of European Memory and Conscience took place on 14 October, 2011 in the Lichtenstein Palace in Prague in the presence of the Prime minister of Poland, Mr Donald Tusk, who is also acting President of the EU Council, the Prime minister of Hungary, Mr Viktor Orbán, and the Prime minister of the Czech Republic, Mr Petr Nečas. After the signing, the founding Members of the Platform of European Memory and Conscience took part in a wreath laying ceremony at the Memorial to the victims of communism in Prague-Újezd.

NB: Photographs, a video and the speeches from the signing ceremony on 14 October, 2011 can be found on the website of the Government of the Czech Republic.

Representatives of the Platform of European Memory and Conscience elected in 2011:

President:

Göran Lindblad, Sweden, former MP and former Chairman of the Political Affairs Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

Göran Lindblad

Executive Board:

Andreja Valič Zver, Slovenia, Director of the Study Centre for National Reconciliation

Zsolt Szilágyi, Romania, Head of Cabinet of László Tökés, Vice-President of the European Parliament

Siegfried Reiprich, Germany, Chairman of the foundation Stiftung Sächsische Gedenkstätten

Paweł Ukielski, Poland, Deputy Director of the Warsaw Rising Museum

Managing Director:

Neela Winkelmann, Czech Republic, Executive Manager for European Affairs, Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes

The conference was organised by the Czech Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes in cooperation with partner institutions and organisations from the working group on the Platform of European Memory and Conscience. The book, which was published with the kind support of the European Commission Representation in the Czech Republic, contains more than 40 contributions by historians, witnesses of crimes, investigators and legal experts from three (four) continents. It includes country reports on the crimes committed in the individual countries of Central and Eastern Europe and legal analyses and recommendations on how to deal with the unresolved legacy of Communism. The publication concludes with the Declaration on Crimes of Communism adopted by the participants of the conference.

ÚSTR, Praha 2011, 1st edition, softcover, 472 pp., ISBN 978-80-87211-51-9

Prague, 14 October, 2011. The Platform of European Memory and Conscience was formally established at a signing ceremony in the Lichtenstein Palace in Prague under the auspices of the Czech Prime minister Mr Petr Nečas and in the presence of Prime minister of Poland, Mr Donald Tusk, who is also acting President of the EU Council, and the Prime minister of Hungary, Mr Viktor Orbán. “We must not forget the period of totalitarianism when our nations struggled for freedom,” said Prime minister Nečas at the event. Mr Daniel Herman, Director of the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes, said: “I am convinced that the Platform will help to establish the truth which will set us free”. The founders of the Platform consider the attendance of the Prime ministers a sign of strong political and moral support for their work.

The purpose of the Platform is to support cooperation among national research institutes, archives, museums and other organisations, public and private, specialising in the subject of the history of totalitarian regimes in Europe, with special emphasis on National socialism, Communism and other totalitarian ideologies.

One of the goals of the Platform which is being launched with 21 Members from 13 EU member states is to help prevent intolerance, extremism, anti-democratic movements and the recurrence of any totalitarian rule in the future.

The first two projects of the Platform will be a travelling exhibition “Totalitarianism in Europe” to tour European cities starting in 2012 and a reader for European secondary school students “Memory of Totalitarianism in Europe”.

The initiative was started three years ago in cooperation of the Czech Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes with the office of the Government of the Czech Republic. The foundation of the Platform of European Memory and Conscience has since been supported by the European Parliament resolution on European conscience and totalitarianism of 2 April, 2009 and by the EU Council during the Czech, Hungarian and Polish EU Presidencies.

Göran Lindblad, former MP from Sweden and ex-Chair of the Political Affairs Committee of the Council of Europe was elected President, members of the Executive Board are Andreja Valič Zver of the Study Centre for National Reconciliation from Slovenia, Siegfried Reiprich of the Stiftung Sächsische Gedenkstätten from Germany, Paweł Ukielski of the Warsaw Rising Museum from Poland and Zsolt Szilágyi, Head of Cabinet of László Tökés, Vice-President of the European Parliament. Neela Winkelmann of the Czech Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes was elected Managing Director of the Platform.

The Platform of European Memory and Conscience has been
kindly supported by a grant from the International Visegrad Fund.

Contacts:
Neela Winkelmann, Managing Director, Platform of European Memory and Conscience,

neela.winkelmannova@ustrcr.cz,

tel.: +420-221008318

Göran Lindblad, President, Platform of European Memory and Conscience,

glalindblad@gmail.com,

tel.: +46-706 7103 66

Attachment:
List of Members of the Platform of European Memory and Conscience as of 14 October, 2011

• Bulgaria:
  Hannah Arendt Center – Sofia,

• Czech Republic:
  Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes,
  Security Services Archive,

• Estonia:
  Estonian Institute of Historical Memory,
  Unitas Foundation,

• Germany:
  Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial,
  Hannah Arendt Society,
  Stiftung Sächsische Gedenkstätten,
  The Federal Commissioner for the Records of the State Security Service of the former GDR,

• Hungary:
  The Public Foundation for the Research of Central and East European History and Society – House of Terror Museum,

• Latvia:
  The Occupation Museum Association of Latvia,
  The Occupation of Latvia Research Society,

• Lithuania:
  Secretariat of The International Commission for the Evaluation of the Crimes of the Nazi and Soviet Occupation Regimes in Lithuania,
  Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania,

• Netherlands:
  Foundation History of Totalitarian Regimes and their Victims,

• Poland:
  Institute of National Remembrance,
  Warsaw Rising Museum,

• Romania:
  Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile,

• Slovakia:
  Ján Langoš Foundation,

• Slovenia:
  Study Centre for National Reconciliation,

• Sweden:
  The Institute for Information on the Crimes of Communism.

In November 2008, a permanent working group on the Platform of European Memory and Conscience was established as a joint initiative of the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic and the Czech Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes. The Institute has been coordinating the working group since then. The foundation of the Platform of European Memory and Conscience was supported by the European Parliament in its resolution of 2 April 2009 on European conscience and totalitarianism which called for “the establishment of a Platform of European Memory and Conscience to provide support for networking and cooperation among national research institutes specialising in the subject of totalitarian history, and for the creation of a pan-European documentation centre/memorial for the victims of all totalitarian regimes.“

The Platform of European Memory and Conscience received further endorsement from the General Affairs and External Relations Council during the Czech Presidency of the EU on 15 June, 2009, from the Justice and Home Affairs Council during the Hungarian Presidency of the EU on 9-10 June, 2011 and in the Warsaw Declaration adopted by the Justice and Home Affairs Council during the Polish Presidency of the EU on 23 August, 2011.

In its Report to the Parliament and the Council “The memory of the crimes committed by totalitarian regimes in Europe“ of 22 December, 2010, the European Commission presents the Platform of European Memory and Conscience as an important European initiative. As the Commission explains, “Bringing together all actors from all Member States, including academic and independent researchers and experts, in order to exchange experiences, analysis and best practices, including on how Member States promote collective memory through educational curricula, is a way to contribute to promote awareness and exchange of experiences in this area.“

The Constituting meeting of the Platform of European Memory and Conscience will be hosted by the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes. The solemn signing of the founding document will take place on 14 October, 2011 at 2.30 p.m. in the Lichtenstein Palace in Prague as an accompanying event of the summit of the Prime ministers of the Visegrad group. The ceremony will be opened by Mr Petr Nečas, Prime minister of the Czech Republic and Mr László Tökés, Vice-President of the European Parliament and leader of the democratic revolution of 1989 in Romania.

The Platform of European Memory and Conscience brings together governmental and non-governmental institutions and organisations active in research, documentation, awareness raising and education about totalitarian regimes. The work of the Platform will initially encompass meetings and conferences, several publications, a survey, a travelling exhibition on totalitarianism in Europe and an award to personalities who have set a mark in resisting and working against totalitarianism in Europe. The founding members, who are also signing an ethics code, extend an invitation to like-minded institutions and organisations from further European countries to join them in their endeavour.

Contact:

Dr. Neela Winkelmann
Executive manager for European affairs
Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes
Siwiecova 2, 130 00 Praha 3, Czech Republic
Tel.: +420 – 221 008 318
e-mail: neela.winkelmannova@ustrcr.cz

Founding members of the Platform of European Memory and Conscience:

Bulgaria: Hannah Arendt Center Sofia
Czech Republic: Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes, Security Services Archive
Estonia: Estonian Institute of Historical Memory, Unitas Foundation
Germany: The Federal Commissioner for the Records of the State Security Service of the former GDR, Berlin-Hohenschönhausen Memorial, Hannah Arendt Society Köln
Hungary: The Public Foundation for the Research of Central and East European History and Society – House of Terror Museum
Latvia: The Occupation Museum Association of Latvia
Lithuania: International Commission for the Evaluation of the Crimes of the Nazi and Soviet Occupation Regimes in Lithuania, The Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania
Netherlands: Foundation History of Totalitarian Regimes and their Victims
Poland: Institute of National Remembrance, Warsaw Rising Museum
Romania: Institute for the Investigation of Communist Crimes and the Memory of the Romanian Exile
Slovakia: Jan Langos Foundation
Slovenia: Study Centre for National Reconciliation
Sweden: The Institute for Information on the Crimes of Communism

Some of the goals of the Platform of European Memory and Conscience:

- to increase public awareness about European history and crimes committed by totalitarian regimes and encourage a broad, European-wide discussion about the causes and consequences of totalitarian rule, as well as about common European values, with the aim of promoting human dignity and human rights;
- to contribute toward deepening the integration of all European citizens, furthering the respect and understanding of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in all of Europe with the goal of avoiding future threats to democracy.

The Constituting meeting and initial work of the Platform of European Memory and Conscience have been kindly supported by a grant from the International Visegrad Fund .

More information…