A special task of the History Workshop is to examine the «white spots» in the history of the Second World War. Young historians, schoolchildren, students, experienced war historians, and specialists in German studies get together in the so-called historians' Clubs, which meetings have been regularly held in the History Workshop since 2003. Here, historians have an opportunity to discuss important matters of individual aspects in the themes of World War II.
The Club for Young Historians “Memory Culture about the War in Belarus and Germany”
As a rule, the concept “memory culture” is used in memorial complexes, museums, rituals in memory of victims of the war, in archives, publications, books, memoirs, which have been passed down from generation to generation.
In Germany, Austria and other countries, the definition “memory culture” is used widely while speaking about the holocaust and victims of national-socialism. After Stockholm EU Conference in 2000, a lot of political activists consider holocaust as a “negative founding myth of Europe”. In Belarus the term “memory culture” is rarely used in public discussions and scientific analysis.
That is why, within the Club meetings young historians will work intensively with the concept “memory culture” on the example of World War II and will study the methods of the war research.
Terms: 4th Friday / February, April, June, October, December
The Club of Historians on War Questions “Historian and Evidence: Non-Traditional Reference on Life in Conditions of Occupation, Resistance and Compulsion”
For decades, Belarusian historiography has devoted its activity to traditional, scientifically acknowledged methods of research of such important topics as occupation regime system, partisan warfare, antifascist resistance, and recently also of such issues as captivity, concentration camps, ghetto, forced labor. But analyses of professional historians often do not coincide with the judgments of witnesses. Especially, this concerns the still forbidden topic of collaboration. Here, opinions of historians and the public are divided.
In the Club of Historians on War Questions, prominent historians within open discussions with the public will talk about concrete examples of methodologically and scientifically well-grounded research work in the field of history with responsiveness to life stories of war witnesses.
Terms: 4th Friday / March, May, July, September, November
The Club of Historians on German Studies “Evidence of Crimes against Humanity: German Historiography of World War II”
One of the most important areas in historical studies in Germany, connected to World War II, is a proper analysis of the power structure of Nazi regime. And the main focus is thereby on the following question: How did different agencies and departments of Nazi Germany participate in national-socialist politics of extermination? Results of such researches are still available only to a limited extent for historical studies and the interested public in Belarus.
This year, the Club for German Studies will concentrate its activity, first of all, on the issues devoted to acts of national-socialist regime towards Jews, Sinti, Romani, and other “ideological enemies”. Participation in seminars of historians from Germany and other countries will give an opportunity to integrate the results of German and European historiography into Belarusian heritage.
Terms: 3rd Friday / March. May, September, December
The Ethnographic School «Traces of Memory and History: Reconstruction of the Past”
A filial of the History Workshop works actively within the Ethnographic school at the Secondary School ¹ 1 in Maryina Gorka under leadership of the history teacher Boris Muha. The pupils use a unique opportunity to study history through interviews with former prisoners of concentration camps, ghettos, and with former forced laborers, who were removed to countries, occupied by the Third Reich. It gives a possibility to keep audio- and video recordings of life stories of witnesses, which may be used at exhibitions, conferences and be provided to mass media. Besides educational component, the Ethnographic School’s activity has also social and cultural features. Communication with the youth is really important for those a few witnesses who fortunately are still alive. Moreover, a dialogue between representatives of different generations is a key element in cultivation of active position against neo-Nazi and anti-Semitism among the youth.
Terms: during a year
