An interview with Rafał Rogulski, Director of the ENRS
What is the most important objective of the European Network Remembrance and Solidarity?
The ENRS was created to foster an international dialogue about the history of Europe, its states and nations in the 20th century. It is important to us that this topic takes its rightful place in public discourse and that, in turn, the people of Europe come to know and understand one another better. Wars, the deaths of millions of people, the collapse of superpowers, the emergence of new states and the rebirth of pre-existing ones, population movements, border changes, concentration camps, the Holocaust, totalitarian and authoritarian political systems – Nazism and communism; impoverishing and enslaving entire nations and social groups; the struggle for freedom, its regaining and the way it was used in practice; and the struggle for and observance of human rights – these are selected processes that took place in the 20th century. Knowledge and the memory of them shape our identity, our attitude towards others and towards ourselves. If the processes of political and economic unification of Europe are to bring us closer together, it is worthwhile for us to know not only our own history, but also that of our neighbours. We need to be able to see the history of our nation and our country in a broader, international context. Only then will it be possible to talk about deepening not only the community of civilisation, but also the community of culture.
Why is it so important to remember and discuss these difficult events?
By expanding our knowledge and remembering, we at least give ourselves a chance of not making the same mistakes and allowing us to live in free, democratic states, in a democratic and strong community, to develop in peace. The discourse on history can and should be seen as a preventive measure against potential conflicts. I know that in the face of Russia’s cruel aggression in Ukraine, and also in the face of previous conflicts, such as the wars in the Balkans, it is difficult to speak with optimism about learning from history, but the ENRS grew out of a conflict over memory, over interpretations of the past, over the commemoration of the victims of the Second World War and other difficult aspects of 20th-century history. One of the conclusions reached by the creators of the ENRS network was that what was missing was a broader discussion that acknowledged, above all, the different perceptions of certain historical events and processes and recognised some aspects are indeed remembered but in different ways by individual countries and nations. Often we may feel that the memory of others in a certain sense limits or deforms our own, and vice versa. Sometimes certain issues are blanked out, while others are emphasised, and vice versa. To understand this, it is necessary to know why this is so.
An important motive in the creation of the ENRS was the fact that not only was it recognised that such differences of opinion and plurality of thinking existed, but an attempt was made to find some means of allowing us to live with this better and more comfortably. It would allow us to differ in an informed way, it would help us to increase our knowledge of ourselves and one another in Europe. The ENRS was born out of the need for a space to develop and contain a dialogue, in particular about the events of 20th-century European history.
A dialogue between …?
Mainly Europeans, but also all other interested parties. Both those who are familiar with history and those not yet interested. We invite the former to deepen their knowledge through our projects, while we want to make history interesting for the latter. We want to show them that a certain basic knowledge of history helps to orient themselves in today’s world. It helps them to understand both the dramatic events that are happening around them and the many political decisions taken in different countries, often conditioned by an interpretation of historical events of which we are often unaware. In order to be able to understand such decisions, we need to look at them on many levels, one of them being the historical context.
Is creating a space for such dialogue therefore one of the missions of ENRS?
Nurturing a dialogue about the history and memory of the 20th century is a never-ending task. It is an ongoing process carried out by a number of institutions in different countries: historical museums, memorials and central and local government institutions, both public and private. Most of them focus on the history of the country in which they were founded and operate. We, on the other hand, aim to make them work together and thus strengthen an international dialogue about the various events and processes of 20th-century history.
In this endeavour, our partners are all those concerned – from politicians, the media, civil servants and opinion-forming groups that shape the institutional landscape of our reality to the entire multitude of people who are aware of being a part of a historical process and want to learn as much as possible about it.
Given the multifaceted nature of historical, cultural and social experiences, can we speak of sharing a memory of them?
I would start by asking what it means to remember together? Is it about remembering the same thing the same way, or is it about creating a sense of togetherness across the diversity of memories? The former is as impossible as it is unnecessary, while the latter would support the creation of a sense of community of interest, which the European Union undoubtedly is. One of the aspects on which this community is founded is history: a shared history. Yet building a sense of community on the basis of history is not easy. Yes, there are aspects of history that affect different countries and national communities to a similar degree, but there is a range of experiences both in the realm of facts but, perhaps above all, the memory of those events to this day divide rather than unite.
Is it possible to reconcile these different memories? Can they be turned into a shared common memory?
The point is not to reconcile them by force, but to build a sense of community despite these differences. The community of interests I have in mind is not based solely on questions of economy, history or security, but combines all these components simultaneously, and strengthens our awareness that together we are stronger in every respect. Artificially highlighting differences without showing how to overcome them – only if by accepting them – is something that weakens the community and in reality exposes us to danger, which, as we know, is no longer lurking around the corner, but brazenly standing at the door and pressing the bell. Undoubtedly, historical knowledge can be the linking element, because it helps us understand, but it is not enough on its own.
Today we sometimes find certain behaviour from the past difficult to understand or accept.
Well, there will always be something left once we are gone. Some currents of thought, ways of acting, some facts, events and processes, and perhaps some of them will continue to be difficult for our great-grandchildren analysing them more than 100 years’ time to understand. Yet to us today these seem important and appropriate. When we set out to study the past and try to evaluate it, we cannot ignore the historical context in which the phenomena we are interested in occurred.
You have mentioned the dangers of disinformation today? How do we deal with those? How can we responsibly learn about history in the age of disinformation?
The key issue when it comes to dealing with disinformation is knowledge and scepticism, maintaining a distance and thinking critically about information being transmitted in different ways. The technical level in which people can be disinformed today is increasing at a tremendous rate. Thanks to today’s technologies, it is possible to present and put various statements in people’s mouths that can be spoken as if it is their voice, but it can have nothing to do with what they have ever said or perhaps even thought. This allows for an almost unbelievable level of manipulation. To shield ourselves against disinformation, we need to remain sceptical, critically check various sources and use our common sense.