A Child in the Labyrinth of 20th-Century History is a long-term academic and educational initiative of the European Network Remembrance and Solidarity (ENRS) exploring the experiences of children who lived through the major political, social and military upheavals of the twentieth century.

The project examines childhood during wars, totalitarian regimes, forced migrations, political repression and periods of economic and social transformation. While rooted in the history of Central and Eastern Europe, it places these experiences within a broader European context, highlighting both the diversity of individual stories and the shared challenges that shaped successive generations.

Moving beyond traditional narratives that portray children solely as victims or passive witnesses, the project seeks to recover their voices, perspectives and agency. Drawing on interdisciplinary research, it brings together historians, sociologists, memory scholars, educators and cultural practitioners to investigate how children experienced, understood and responded to the realities around them.

Developed over several years, the initiative will gradually expand its chronological scope to encompass the First World War and the interwar period, the Second World War and the Holocaust, the communist era, and the political and social transformations following 1989. Through international conferences, scholarly publications, educational resources and public engagement activities, the project aims to deepen our understanding of childhood in times of crisis and to contribute to a shared European culture of remembrance.

The project will culminate in a travelling exhibition accompanied by a series of publications and educational materials, making its research accessible to both academic audiences and the wider public.