Europeana and European Parliament join forces to mark events that shaped Europe
WW1 and the fall of the Iron Curtain, two events that shaped the Europe we know today will be commemorated at the European Parliament in unique style. A family history roadshow, digitising personal memorabilia of MEPs for these two seminal periods of European history, is taking place in the Parliament.
- Title:
- Baltijas ceļa fotogrāfija ceļa posmā Cēsis-Valmiera
- Institution:
- Europeana 1989
- Country:
- Latvia
- Copyright:
- CC BY-SA
On 2 and 3 December, Shaping Europe will mark the centenary commemoration of WW1 and the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Iron Curtain. Members of the European Parliament and Parliament staff are invited to bring along their personal and family memorabilia to be digitised and to share the stories behind them through Europeana’s two major thematic websites Europeana1914-18.eu and Europeana1989.eu.
Monika Grütters, the German Minister of State for Culture said at the beginning of this year: ‘Europeana is a great bridge builder. In a wonderful way, it is founding connections between cultural institutions across Europe. It is making an important contribution to European cooperation and understanding across borders and tranches of history.'
For the past three years, Europeana 1914-18 and Europeana 1989 have worked with citizens and our cultural institutions across Europe to create online archives that provide a unique perspective on these two seminal events, which can be shared worldwide. The two collection days at the Parliament, add to 150 held across Europe over the last 4 years and directly connect citizens to their cultural heritage.
Jill Cousins, Executive Director of Europeana Foundation said: ‘Europeana 1914-1918 and Europeana 1989 connects our state history with our personal memories. They show the power of a Europe connected through its cultural institutions and our shared heritage’.
MEP and one of the initiators of the European Parliament's resolution on European Conscience and Totalitarianism (2009), Mr. Tunne-Väldo Kelam is one of those who have already shared their story through Europeana 1989 and the 89 voices project. He said, 'One of our main objectives at the European Parliament has been to develop a balanced understanding and approach to European history as a whole. Because we noticed that our colleagues and friends in Western and Southern Europe know very little about what happened in the East. We should establish a political balance to recognise these [totalitarian, Nazi and Communist] crimes and express solidarity with the victims.'
Senior representatives from the EU institutions, Member States and cultural organisations will gather at the commemoration, hosted by five members of the European Parliament and its committee of Culture and Education: Ms. Silvia Costa, Ms Sabine Verheyen, Ms. Petra Kammerevert, Mr Maura Barandarián and Ms. Helga Tr?pel. The event will mark the role of these two formative periods in shaping Europe.
On 3 December evening, a reception will be held to mark the importance of culture to the formation of the European Union and the role of the Member States in Europeana 1914-1918 and Europeana 1989. The reception will be attended by Commissioner Tibor Navracsics, Culture, Education, Youth and Sport and Mr Bodgan Andrzej Zdrojewski, MEP and former minister for Culture, Poland.
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