Platform of European Memory and Conscience

13/08/2026

🚀 A major step forward for European memory thanks to Estonia 🇪🇪
We are officially entering an exciting new phase of work on the Memorial in Brussels, all thanks to the support of Estonia, which is joining the project! 🇪🇺
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Behind the scenes, our team is working non-stop, and this milestone marks a pivotal moment in turning our shared vision into reality:
📸 During our recent prep work, we came across a historic photograph by the great Alexandre Laurent of what the current Esplanade Solidarność looked like in the 1970s. Seeing its journey from railway tracks to becoming the site of the first pan-European monument is a truly breathtaking story!
⚙️ Work is currently underway on preparing the permit application. We are deeply grateful for the Estonian government's support, which helps us complete the essential technical due diligence process required on the path to securing the permit.
🤝 This remarkable evolution reminds us why this initiative matters so much; it is a beautiful legacy for Europe, and we must build it ; we have to make it!
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🔔 Stay tuned as we progress into this new phase! Thanks again to the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs / Välisministeerium and Justiits- ja Digiministeerium 🇪🇪
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📸 Credit: Alexandre Laurent; Tszwai So

09/08/2026

🕯️ Remembering Hartmut Tautz - Victim of the Iron Curtain.
Today we commemorate the 40th anniversary of the tragic death of Hartmut Tautz 🕯️, an 18-year-old citizen of East Germany 🇩🇪 who lost his life while trying to cross the Iron Curtain. Hartmut was an aspiring musician 🎼, but was denied the opportunity to study music because of his father’s middle-class background.
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🚧 In August 1986, Hartmut attempted to cross the Czechoslovak-Austrian border near Petržalka in search of freedom 🕊️, of knowledge 📚 and expression 🎵. He was caught only metres from the border and died from his injuries on 9 August 1986.
🧱 His story is a powerful reminder that the Iron Curtain was not simply a line dividing Europe. It was a system that restricted people’s freedom to leave 🚶, travel 🌍, and ultimately decide where and how they wanted to live.
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🎤 As part of the 40th anniversary commemorations, our dear members at Ústav pamäti národa are organising a discussion on 6 August “Do I Have the Right to Leave and Stay?” 💬 The discussion will explore Hartmut Tautz’s story and the broader questions surrounding freedom of movement, the right to leave one’s country 🛂, and the meaning of freedom today.
🌹 The following day, on 7 August, a commemorative ceremony will take place at the Hartmut Tautz Memorial in Bratislava, where wreaths will be laid and a new information panel 🪧 dedicated to his memory will be unveiled.
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❓ Hartmut’s story belongs to the past, but the questions it raises remain deeply relevant: how easily can freedoms we take for granted become invisible until they are taken away?
🕯️ We remember Hartmut Tautz and all those who lost their lives in the pursuit of freedom under totalitarianism. The Victims of the Iron Curtain.

07/08/2026

🎵 What can a song tell us about memory?
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🎼 “Warszawskie dzieci” (“Children of Warsaw”), performed by the Slovenian band Laibach, is a striking modern interpretation of a song associated with the Warsaw Uprising 🇵🇱 Released in 2014 to mark the 70th anniversary of the Uprising, the video combines Laibach’s distinctive sound with scenes from Jan Komasa’s film Warsaw ’44 🎬
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🕰️ But “Warszawskie dzieci” is not only a song about 1944. It is also a reminder of how societies remember war, and how each generation finds new ways to engage with the past 📖
⁣🟥 Laibach’s interpretation is particularly powerful because it brings a historical Polish song into a contemporary cultural context. The original words, written during the war ✍️, speak of courage 🛡️, solidarity 🤝 and a determination to defend Warsaw 🏙️
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Decades later, the song continues to raise questions about freedom, sacrifice, resistance and the human cost of war.
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📅 That is why the works of the Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego are relevant today, on the 82nd anniversary. 🕯️⁣
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🇪🇺 At a time when war has once again returned to Europe, remembering the Warsaw Uprising is not simply about looking backwards ⬅️ It reminds us of the fragility of peace 🕊️, the consequences of violence against civilians, and the importance of preserving historical memory 🏛️
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🎬 Watch Laibach’s “Warszawskie dzieci” 👉 https://youtu.be/3WGgRYKNtbo?si=5Cw3YUTOxQB5ypUs

04/08/2026

📜 Uncovering Europe's Buried History: From the Shadows of Soviet Repression to the Triumph of the Baltic Way 🕊️🇱🇹🇱🇻🇪🇪
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We are proud to highlight the release of the documentary "Buried Stories: The Last Train East", presented by Azerbaijan's AnewZ TV, which provides a rigorous historical examination of the Baltic experience under totalitarian occupation 🎬
🔍 The film conducts a deep, research-driven inquiry into one of the darkest chapters of 20th-century European history, detailing the lived reality of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia:
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🔹 The documentary traces the root causes back to the Secret Protocols of the Hitler-Stalin (Molotov-Ribbentrop) Pact of 1939, detailing how totalitarian collusion forcibly partitioned Eastern Europe ❌
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🔹 It sheds vital light on the heroic struggle of anti-Soviet partisans and the Forest Brothers across the Baltic region, while documenting the harrowing reality of KGB interrogation rooms, forced labour camps, and mass deportations to Siberia🌲🛡️
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🔹 The narrative culminates symbolically in the 1989 Baltic Way, where two million citizens formed an unbroken human chain across 600 kilometres, standing as one of history's most powerful demonstrations of peaceful resistance against authoritarian rule 🤝✨
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🕯️ The mass deportations and political terror executed by the USSR were not isolated events; they formed a systemic apparatus of violence that affected millions of families across the entirety of Central and Eastern Europe.
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🏛️ We commend our esteemed member organisations, the Lietuvos Gyventojų Genocido ir Rezistencijos tyrimo centras (LGGRTC) and the Baltic Alliance , for providing the historical expertise, archival records, and witness testimonies essential to making this film possible. Their work ensures that hidden narratives receive global recognition 📚
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01/08/2026

⏱️ At 5:00 PM today, sirens sound across Poland as an entire nation stands still to mark the exact moment "W-hour" struck on August 1, 1944. 🇵🇱🕯️
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In this powerful collective pause, traffic stops, pedestrians halt, and silence fills the streets to honour one of the most courageous yet heartbreaking chapters in Europe’s fight against totalitarian oppression.
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🏙️ On that fateful summer afternoon, the heroes of the Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa) launched a covert military operation to liberate Warsaw from brutal N**i German occupation. For 63 agonising days, ill-equipped insurgents fought with bravery against overwhelming enemy forces, enduring catastrophic devastation and immense human sacrifice in defence of freedom.
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🏛️ As the last living witnesses pass away, active memory becomes our strongest line of defence:
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🕊️ Keeping the memory of resistance alive guards our societies against historical distortion and the return of totalitarian tendencies.
🕯️ Passing the lessons of sacrifice down to younger generations ensures that freedom is never taken for granted.
🌐 Together with our member institution, the Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego, we ensure these stories resonate across borders to inspire democratic resilience today.
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📸 Photo credit: Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego
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21/07/2026

🎉 Huge congratulations to Tszwai So on the inclusion of the Belarusian Memorial Chapel among the 100 Buildings of the 21st Century!

Finding yourself on a list alongside architectural icons such as the Shard, Tate Modern, 30 St Mary Axe (the Gherkin), the Great Court of the British Museum, and Wembley Stadium is an extraordinary achievement 🏛️✨

Having had the pleasure of working with Tszwai on the Pan-European Memorial for the Victims of Totalitarianism in Brussels 🇪🇺, we can only say that this recognition comes as no surprise. Great architecture doesn’t simply create beautiful spaces; it tells stories and emotions, gives meaning to memory, and creates places that stay with us long after we leave them.

And, perhaps, this is also a small glimpse of what’s to come. I sincerely hope that one day, after its construction, the Memorial in Brussels will find its place on similar lists as well 🤞

Congratulations once again, Tszwai and Spheron Architects! A truly well-deserved success 👏

The Belarusian Memorial Chapel in London has been recognised as one of the UK’s most significant architectural achievements of the millennium following its inclusion in the highly anticipated new book, 100 21st-Century Buildings.
Published by Batsford and curated by Twentieth Century Society the landmark publication celebrates a quarter-century of the finest modern architecture across Britain. Designed by Tszwai So, the wooden structure shares the stage with some of the UK’s most iconic contemporary structures, including world-famous landmarks such as The Shard, Tate Modern, the Gherkin (30 St Mary Axe), the Great Court of the British Museum, Wembley Stadium, the Eden Project, the Senedd (Welsh Parliament), and the Scottish Parliament Building.

20/07/2026

🚨 He dreamed of playing music in freedom. Instead, his life was brutally cut short just 22 meters from the border 🕯️
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🎼 At just 18 years old, Hartmut Tautz was denied his dream of studying music in the GDR. Refusing to let a totalitarian regime dictate his future, he attempted to cross the Iron Curtain near Bratislava-Petržalka on August 8, 1986. Just 22 meters from safety, he set off an alarm and was savagely attacked by trained border guard dogs in a maise field. Instead of administering urgent medical care, border soldiers chose to interrogate the critically wounded young man while he lay bleeding. Help arrived too late, and Hartmut succumbed to his injuries in the early hours of August 9—becoming a heartbreaking symbol of the tragic cost paid by those who dared to seek liberty 💔
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🕊️ To ensure his memory endures and to honour all who suffered under the division of Europe, our members from UOKG e.V. cordially invite you to a memorial plaque unveiling under the motto 💬 "He dreamed of freedom and lost his life." This landmark event is a vital moment of cross-border remembrance, bringing together prominent political leaders, human rights advocates, and history initiative leaders at the very border where division once stood. Standing at this historical crossroads, we will pay tribute to Hartmut's courage and reaffirm our shared commitment to defending democracy and historical truth today
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📍 Join us in honouring Hartmut’s life and making sure the lessons of the Iron Curtain are never forgotten!
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📅 When: Wednesday, July 22, 2026 | 10:00 AM
🗺️ Where: Austrian–Slovak border (Kittsee/Petržalka), corner of Preßburger Str. and Kittsee-Neuriss-Grenzweg, 2421 Kittsee, AT
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📩 Be Part of the Commemoration: Please confirm your attendance by registering via email at ℹ️ [email protected].
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Let’s stand together for freedom, memory, and justice! 💪🕯️

20/07/2026

📍 UPDATE ON THE MEMORIAL 🇪🇺✨
As many of you know, the Pan-European Memorial for the Victims of Totalitarianism will be situated at the iconic Esplanade Solidarność 1980, right in front of the European Parliament, the most important place in the European Quarter in Brussels.
But the Esplanade is vast... where exactly will our common monument stand? Today, we are thrilled to share new details! 📢
📍 Located in the Southern Part, Right Next to Gare de Luxembourg
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The Memorial will be positioned in the southern section of the Esplanade, right next to the entrance of Gare de Luxembourg.
Here is why this spot is the ideal location for our initial common monument for all Europeans:
🏛️ This area is already a recognised hub of remembrance and serves important commemorative functions, making it a natural home for a monument honouring our collective history.
🚶‍♂️Thousands of Europeans pass through this bustling station and Esplanade every single day; it is truly in the heart of daily European life.
🌿 This location allows for a dignified commemoration while ensuring the Memorial stays vibrant and full of life—surrounded by tourists, workers, and visitors.
🤝 Placing our monument here creates a continuous reminder of the cost of freedom right at the doorstep of European democracy; it will be a shared landmark for democratic values.
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👇 Join us in honouring the past and strengthening Europe's future!
Learn more about the Memorial project and follow our updates at 👉 memorialbrussels.eu

14/07/2026

65 years ago Building of the Berlin Wall has started. We remember one of the most powerful symbols of the division of Europe into two opposing worlds.🕯

For millions living in the West, freedom, democracy, and open societies became the foundation of post-war Europe. For those trapped behind the Wall and the Iron Curtain, everyday life meant censorship, fear, surveillance, and oppression. Families were separated overnight. Human dignity was subordinated to totalitarian power.

The Berlin Wall was not only concrete and barbed wire — it was a visible manifestation of a system built on control and the denial of fundamental human rights. Its history reminds us that freedom can never be taken for granted.

Today, the mission of the Platform of European Memory and Conscience remains profoundly relevant: to preserve the memory of victims of totalitarian regimes, promote historical truth, and strengthen democratic values across Europe.

Remembering the Wall means remembering the people who suffered because Europe was divided into zones of liberty and oppression. It is also a reminder of our shared responsibility to defend freedom, human rights, and democracy against all forms of authoritarianism.

08/07/2026

Meet Us | 👋
Today, in our Meet Us campaign, we would like to introduce a new member of our Supervisory Board from Albania 🇦🇱
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💬 "Each generation must recreate liberty for its own times," as Florence Ellinwood Allen once noted. Liberty is not an assumed inheritance, but a responsibility that must be continually renewed through memory, education, and critical reflection 🧠 It is never static or guaranteed. It survives only through our willingness to understand its fragility and actively uphold its meaning in changing historical contexts ⏳ The way we interpret and transmit history defines the values and resilience of future societies 🌍 Remembering the victims of totalitarian regimes, confronting historical injustice, and fostering open and honest dialogue are essential for safeguarding democracy 🏛️ In this sense, historical memory is not passive remembrance, but an active form of protection against silence, denial, and distortion 🛡️ Education and historical research are among the most powerful tools against authoritarianism and the manipulation of history, because they cultivate critical thinking and a commitment to truth 📜🕊️
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Brisejda Lala is an Albanian historian, researcher, and lecturer specialising in the history of communism, political persecution, and historical memory 🔍 She works at the Instituti i Studimeve për Krimet dhe Pasojat e Komunizmit - ISKK, focusing on systems of repression, historical truth, and education as a tool of democratic resilience 🏛️ Through her deep dedication to research and teaching, she ensures that these vital reflections continue to strengthen our shared European memory and democratic values.