What does it mean to commemorate?
Mostar (Bosnia), August 2006
What is the role of memorial centers and monuments?
Westerbork (Netherlands), 19 May 2007
- commemoration of transport of Roma and Sinti on 19 May 1944
On the website of the Hiroshima memorial the director says it’s about learning what happened, about coming “to understand the true horror of nuclear weapons, the tragic foolishness of war, and the sacred importance of peace. I hope everyone will think about what they can do to help build a peaceful world.”
What role can youth play in the memory of wars and genocides 2 or 3 generations ago?
“if we do not learn from history we will surely repeat it”.
- Hollandsche Schouwburg, Amsterdam
How long does hatred live on? Are there differences between cultures in how we deal with the memory of genocide?
- Differences between Eastern and Western Europe.
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The Cultures of Rememberance Network says the following about Commemoration:
The commemoration of victims of National Socialism is an individual and social acknowledgement of their suffering. Rituals are used in society to carry out official commemoration., such as memorial days on which commemorative acts are carried out. The acts of mourning and admonishment are closely linked to commemoration.
Mourning: The term “mourning” deals with the “deep emotion” caused by the loss of a person who was dear, and entails an individual process during which one bids farewell. Mourning can also be determined by individual and social values. This “historical mourning” characterizes an elementary loss of basic principles of humanity.
Admonishment: This characterizes the form of commemoration in which the crime that was committed or which is being answered for is to become a permanent part of the collective memory of a nation.
