crimes committed by totalitarian regimes - Ministrstvo za pravosodje

Crimes committed by totalitarian regimes
Marianne Birthler
Reconciliation and totalitarian crimes: which
lessons can be drawn from a successful experience?
How quickly civil structures and a constitutional state can be destroyed has become evident a
number of times during the 20 th century. It has also become as evident how difficult the way back is.
They say it is relatively easy to make fish soup from an aquarium; however, to reconvert the fish soup
into an aquarium is much more complicated.
The end of a dictatorship is associated with profound political and social changes. The path towards
a functioning democracy and constitutional state is long. It is a necessary step that previous rulers are
replaced, and at best, a democratically legitimised political power takes over, however, it is merely the
first step on a long route. 20 th -century-Europe has plenty of examples to offer: the National Socialist rule
of the Germans, the communist rule of 40 years and the foreign rule in many of its countries, as well
as the dictatorships in Spain, Greece, Portugal and Italy. A lot of time went by in too many instances,
before the truth about the crimes was revealed, therefore, the victims or their relatives were no longer
able to obtain reparation.
What does a society need after the end of a dictatorship, on its path towards a life of freedom,
justice and human dignity?
Which social processes are necessary after the end of a dictatorship in order to facilitate peace
within the society and to limit damage which continues to have an effect?
Which political frame conditions are necessary? Which laws or regulations are necessary along
with which material efforts?
Which role do society’s civil structures and initiatives play? How can they be encouraged?
These general questions are supplemented with a few more specific, however not less important
questions:
How does a society treat its victims of despotism? Are they rehabilitated? Do they receive any
compensation? Are they and their fates given public attention?
Are those responsible made accountable? Are the perpetrators put on trial? Are their names made
known? Are inspections carried out in order to remove previous collaborators from important offices
and positions?
Are the archives opened and is the previous knowledge of the regime made accessible to the
public? Are there any efforts to research the power structures? How is such knowledge published?
Which forms of publicly dealing with the past exist? Is the opposition to the dictatorship
appreciated? Is there a public commemoration of the victims? Are the stories of the victims and of the
opposition collected and stored for generations to come?
Which attitude does the “silent majority” take: Does it express solidarity with the former rulers
because it benefited from the conditions and remained silent with respect to the crimes? Are there
attempts to glorify the past? Or, does the public side with the previously politically persecuted – be it
due to sympathy or due to feeling guilty?
Lack of civil courage, love of liberty, civic-mindedness and democratic self-confidence are all part
of the disastrous consequences which continue to have a long lasting effect. What encourages people to
use their newly gained freedom for themselves and for the common good?
Efforts of accounting for the past are, at times, in danger of being politically or partly politically
exploited. Which precautions are to be taken?
Questions upon questions. The answers to those questions will always turn out differently. The
experience of individual countries is not transferable. However, it is worth mutually recognizing such
an experience, especially as Europe continues to unite.
“Every country has its own 20 th century” was what I recently read in an appeal by Memoriale
which encouraged people to respectfully deal with the different, even contrasting, political experience.
This surely does not only apply to the memories of dictatorships, wars and civil wars, but also to dealing
with these memories.
283