Co-chairs:
Michal Luczewski (Two Wings Institute
Malgorzata Pakier (ERNS)

In the second half of the XX century, European memory cultures and politics grew out of the World War II and debates about remembering Auschwitz and The Gulag, and later on – imperialism, racism and colonialism. Now in the XXI century the European memories of war and empires are confronted with the reality of war in Ukraine and the crimes against humanity of Putin’s regime. Russian politics of history – based on the myths of russkiy mir, the Great Patriotic War and anti-fascism – justified the aggression on Ukraine. How have the postwar mnemonic discourses and practices prepared the West for this confrontation? What is the relationship between European politics of history and the European politics towards Ukraine and Russia? How past memories have shaped current reactions of European nations? Why are British, German and Central European responses so different at times?

In the second of six seminars in the “Rethinking Leadership. Oxford Series” we set out to seek richer models of leadership that take into consideration the importance of culture and collective memories in international relations. Leadership models may draw on productive ways of transnational cooperation, with the example of the European Network Remembrance and Solidarity, as well as the perplexities of post-imperial national memory politics.

The European and Central European perspectives will be viewed against the current changing frameworks of memory geopolitics and dominating mnemonic discourses. The latter may differentiate between dogmas and virtues that have been useful as moral and intellectual guidance, as well as those which call for verification; circling around the notorious polarities: national vs. transnational memory, heroic vs. self-critical memory, political vs. everyday history, or East vs. West.

This event is co-organised by the Two Wings Institute and the European Network Remembrance and Solidarity in Warsaw, in partnership with the Oxford Centre for the Resolution of Intractable Conflict, Centre for Democracy and Peace Building, Oxford Polish Association and the Polish Cultural Institute in London, and co-financed by the Polish National Foundation.

Registration is required.