crimes committed by totalitarian regimes - Ministrstvo za pravosodje
crimes committed by totalitarian regimes - Ministrstvo za pravosodje
crimes committed by totalitarian regimes - Ministrstvo za pravosodje
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Crimes <strong>committed</strong> <strong>by</strong> <strong>totalitarian</strong> <strong>regimes</strong><br />
A. specifying these developments with regard to their significance,<br />
B. careful fact finding,<br />
C. assessment of the responsibility,<br />
D. undertaking, where necessary, legal steps,<br />
E. promotion of results in the media and in schools,<br />
F. establishment of an European research institution to continue and expand these activities.<br />
Excerpts from the “United Europe – United History” Conference held at the European<br />
Parliament on 22 January 2008<br />
“People who share a past are better capable of acting together in the present. This proposition<br />
obviously applies to Europe. Integrating Europe self-evidently means political action in the present,<br />
with aspirations in the future. Logically European integration, therefore, should be firmly anchored in a<br />
particular European idea of the past.<br />
Some of this does exist, especially when it comes to European institutions but very little of this<br />
resonates with the wider public, for whom Europe is either a desirable or an undesirable abstraction.<br />
What is needed therefore is a way of structuring Europe’s past to give recognisability as European <strong>by</strong><br />
the great majority, as something that affects the great majority. However, another issue is raised <strong>by</strong> this<br />
idea. Any European history of Europe worthy of the name must bridge the deep gulfs – reflecting real<br />
experience – that different parts of Europe regard as key aspects of their European pasts.” (Gyoergy<br />
Schoepflin)<br />
“Let’s remember that after the removal of the dictatorial <strong>regimes</strong> in South Africa, Chile and even<br />
in Germany, truth, justice and reconciliation commissions were established. In this way, those who had<br />
suffered received at least moral recompense /.../ The past of undemocratic European States can also be<br />
evaluated <strong>by</strong> legal means, e.g. <strong>by</strong> using the established legal principles and precedents of international<br />
and national courts /.../<br />
The Danish historian, professor Bent Jensen, in his book about the Gulag, speaking about the ‘loss<br />
of memory’ in the West in the 20 th century, says: ‘Although the Western world knew about these <strong>crimes</strong><br />
at the time when they were <strong>committed</strong>, their reaction was negligible. In fact – many helped to conceal<br />
these facts. Even today the genocide <strong>committed</strong> <strong>by</strong> the communists has remained in the shadow of the<br />
Nazi genocide, notwithstanding the scary and shocking similarities of both <strong>regimes</strong>.’” (Girts Valdis<br />
Kristovskis)<br />
“The current community of 27 EU Member States – a community which is already looking forward<br />
to the membership of half a dozen more post-communist countries from Southern Europe – is <strong>committed</strong><br />
to take a common responsibility to address the heritage of Communist <strong>totalitarian</strong> <strong>regimes</strong>. This is not<br />
merely a question of nostalgia. In the 20 th century, it took two <strong>totalitarian</strong> powers to plunge Europe into a<br />
devastating war. These two dictatorships <strong>committed</strong> massive <strong>crimes</strong> against humanity, carried out genocide,<br />
brutally suppressed European values and cultural traditions. In order to be sure that such ideologies never<br />
again ascend to power in Europe, it is imperative for the EU as a whole to analyze and draw conclusions<br />
from both <strong>totalitarian</strong> systems as well as from the experiences of tens of millions of Europeans from all<br />
walks of life who had their lives and futures crushed <strong>by</strong> these inhuman <strong>regimes</strong>.” (Tunne Kelam)<br />
“As Karl Popper said, a true presentation of history would be possible only if we were able to<br />
reconstruct the whole of it. We are in fact doomed to /.../ make choices as to what was important and<br />
what was not and what the meaning of historical events was. Scholars have at their disposal certain<br />
rules and methods of avoiding historical distortions. Let me mention but a few of them. First, their<br />
ambition should be to precisely specify the issue. Second, they should explore a representative body of<br />
evidence. Third, they should carefully measure and compare the importance of historical phenomena.<br />
Fourth, they should not draw conclusion of the pars pro toto nature. Fifth, they should specify criteria of<br />
assessment of historical evidence. Sixth, they should take into account various dimensions of historical<br />
reality and various points of view and carefully judge which are relevant and which are not. Seventh,<br />
they should apply logical reasoning. The only problem is whether politicians are willing to use these<br />
methods.” (Wojciech Roszkowski)<br />
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