Videos

'Grandparents. Grand Stories' Contest
The winning entry in the Audiovisual Category
Authors: Lidia and Jakub Szymański, (Poland)
Interview with Zdzisław Maciejewski

Although Lidia and Jakub's grandfather Zdzisław was born after World War II, he knows a lot about it from stories, particularly those from his village, Płąchawy, where people gathered in the evenings to talk about the war. His grandfather was in the Border Protection Corps (KOP), a military unit defending Poland's border with the Soviet Union. In September 1939, the Russians attacked, outnumbering the Polish forces. The commander surrendered, but a major led an attack, and many soldiers died. His father survived by tripping and hiding in a barn for three days before being escorted to an armament bunker. A Ukrainian man helped him walk, and they found shelter in a house where his father received food. Later, during the war, his grandmother sold land to help his mother travel to the front to see his father. Despite the dangers, his father repeatedly warned her not to come, as it was too risky.

'Grandparents: Grand Stories' Contest
Honourable mention in the Audiovisual Category
Title: 'Józefa's Letters'
Author: Michael Daniel Sagatis, (UK)

In April 1940, Józefa Bujdo was arrested by the Soviet state police (NKVD) and deported to Aktyubinsk in present day Kazakhstan. During her exile Józefa wrote to her children a collection of letters, which would eventually be found 75 years later, 5000 kms from their point of origin. An international team of translators have decoded Józefa’s last thoughts and words to reveal a compelling, hand written account of living conditions under the repressive policies of the Soviet totalitarian regime.

'Grandparents: Grand Stories' Contest
Honourable mention in the Audiovisual Category
Title:'The Bitter Taste of History'
Author: Paula Vătămanu, (Moldova)

'Grandparents. Grand Stories' Contest
Honourable mention in the Audiovisual Category
Title: 'When Hitler Comes for Your Father'
Author: McCall Mash, (USA)

Work submitted to the 'Grandparents: Grand Stories' Contest
Title: 'Remembrance of what Was'
Author: Magdalena Kaśków (Poland)

Work submitted to the 'Grandparents: Grand Stories' Contest
Title: 'The Yellow Island'
Author: Group project by students in Grades 4A, 4B, 5C, and 5E at D.D.S. 4° Circolo “Sigismondo Castromediano,” Lecce, (Italy).
Coordinating teachers: Paola Ardito and Cristiana Calogiuri

Work submitted to the 'Grandparents: Grand Stories' Contest
Title of the video: 'The Story of My Ancestors'
Author: Sibora Hamiti, (Albania)

'Grandparents: Grand Stories' Contest Work submitted to the 'Grandparents: Grand Stories' Contest Title: 'Rediul Mare Village during WW2' Author: Veaceslav Dediu, (Moldova)

'Grandparents: Grand Stories' Contest Work submitted to the 'Grandparents: Grand Stories' Contest Title: 'Dediu Alexandru, WW2' Author: Victor Dediu, (Moldova)

'Grandparents: Grand Stories' Contest Work submitted to the 'Grandparents: Grand Stories' Contest Title: 'Dediu Vladimir' Author: Tatiana Dediu, (Moldova)

As we commemorate 20 years of the European Network Remembrance and Solidarity (ENRS), we reflect not only on what we've achieved but why it still matters.

In this video, Magdalena Żelazowska, Head of Communication and PR at the ENRS, shares her personal perspective on the enduring significance of remembrance and solidarity. For her, these values are not just commemorative, they're about fostering open, cross-generational and cross-cultural conversations that help us better understand ourselves and others.

Why revisit the past? Because awareness is the first step toward empathy, healing, and building a more responsible future. At ENRS, we believe that remembering together, across borders and differences, can help shape a more united and reflective Europe.

Learn more about the history of the ENRS here: A brief history of the ENRS

As the European Network Remembrance and Solidarity (ENRS) celebrates its 20th anniversary, we’re spotlighting voices from within our team who help bring our mission to life. In this video, Joanna Orłoś, Head of the Project Department, shares her insights into how remembrance and solidarity guide our educational work.

Joanna reflects on the urgency of understanding the past to navigate the present, especially in today’s turbulent times. For her, remembrance means more than preserving facts - it’s about connecting with history in ways that inform how we act today. Solidarity, in turn, is about working together across borders to reflect on difficult histories and shape a more empathetic future.

She highlights ENRS projects such as ‘Hi-Story Lessons’, ‘In Between?’, and ‘Sound in the Silence’, where students from across Europe collaborate in historical dialogue and creative expression—often in memorial sites. These initiatives bring remembrance and solidarity to life, encouraging young people to engage critically, think collectively, and share their interpretations with the wider world.

Learn more about the history of the ENRS here: A brief history of the ENRS

As the European Network Remembrance and Solidarity (ENRS) marks its 20th anniversary, we continue sharing personal reflections from our team on the values that guide our work. In this video, Beata Drzazga, Head of Strategy and Development and long-time member of the ENRS, offers her perspective on how remembrance and solidarity shape our approach to history.

For Beata, remembrance means engaging with the past not just as a set of facts, but as lived experiences and lessons that help us better understand the present. Solidarity, she says, grows from that understanding—encouraging cooperation, empathy, and action across borders.

She reflects on the ENRS’s mission to create spaces where diverse historical perspectives can be openly shared and critically discussed. With over 200 projects and 500 institutional partners since 2005, our work is grounded in dialogue, education, and collaboration aimed at building a more inclusive and reflective approach to Europe’s shared past.

Learn more about the history of the ENRS here: A brief history of the ENRS

In 2025, the European Network Remembrance and Solidarity (ENRS) marks 20 years of promoting dialogue on Europe’s 20th-century history. Since its founding in 2005, the Network has connected countries, institutions, and individuals around shared values of remembrance and solidarity.

ENRS Deputy Director Iga Raczyńska reflects on what these values mean to her personally and how they have shaped the Network’s growth over the past decade. From the expansion of international partnerships to gaining structural independence and launching new educational initiatives, she shares the key milestones that have defined the ENRS’s journey. Her insights highlight how remembrance links past and present, and how solidarity fosters mutual respect and collective reflection. As the ENRS continues to grow, our mission remains clear: to build understanding across borders and generations through the responsible exploration of history.

Learn more about the history of the ENRS here: A brief history of the ENRS

In 2025, the European Network Remembrance and Solidarity (ENRS) celebrates 20 years of fostering dialogue on Europe’s complex 20th-century history. Founded in 2005 by representatives from Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, and later joined by other countries, the ENRS has worked to promote understanding of how historical memory shapes our present and future.

To mark this anniversary, ENRS Director Rafał Rogulski shares his reflections on remembrance, solidarity, and the power of dialogue across borders. In this video, he speaks about the role of history in shaping our present and the importance of fostering mutual understanding through shared memory.

We continue to reaffirm our mission: to encourage responsible remembrance and connect nations through shared memory. By fostering dialogue about the past, we aim to build mutual understanding and strengthen unity across borders.

Learn more about the history of the ENRS here: A brief history of the ENRS

Work submitted to the 'Grandparents: Grand Stories' Contest Title: A Hungarian Man in the Ural Mountains' Author: Máté Csóka, (Hungary) Account from Hungary

'Grandparents. Grand Stories' Contest Honourable Mention in the Audiovisual Category Title: 'The Chamber of Noble Resilience' Author: Maria Ferati (Albania) "In this work, which I have titled 'The Chamber of Noble Resilience', I have shared a very precious story of my family. With a heart full of pride, I am writing about my great-great-grandfather, Hakik Hysa—a man I never had the chance to meet personally, but whose heroic deeds continue to illuminate my path even after so many years. For me, it is truly a privilege that his extraordinary sacrifices, which remain engraved in the memory of our people, are now being recognized with the dignity they deserve. Hakik Hysa, a brave man born and raised in the village of Zall-Dardhë in Dibra, Albania was a distinguished figure during the years 1943-1944. During the National Liberation War, he opened the doors of his home to 60 partisan heroes. For the partisans, each day was a new challenge, filled with countless dangers that threatened them. They crossed harsh mountains, enduring difficult conditions, hiding from the enemy, suffering from hunger and exhaustion. Wounded and weary, the partisans sought refuge in the homes of courageous people willing to help them. Among these brave individuals was my great-great-grandfather, Hakik Hysa, who, for a full two years, sheltered, protected, fed, and clothed them, even turning his home into a makeshift "hospital." Whenever the partisans were injured or wounded in battle, Hakik, along with his sons, was ready to take them into their tower and treat them. They cared for them, washing and tending to their wounds with great dedication." The women of Hakik Hysa’s household played an equally important role in this heroic story. They cooked with devotion to feed the partisans and stayed up late at night sewing socks and shoes for them. Additionally, the renowned fighter Myslym Keta also found shelter in Hakik Hysa’s tower. These accounts can be found in a book written about Hakik Hysa, titled Hakik Hysa of Dardha. In this book, we also find verses written by the great Albanian writer Dritëro Agolli, who, after visiting Hakik’s tower, dedicated several pages to him—pages that are also presented in my video.

Recording from the webinar „Webinar: 80 years after: WWII in the Age of Disinformation” from the 20 May 2025.

Marking 80 years since the end of WWII, this webinar explores how history is used, and misused, in today’s media landscape. Aimed at teachers and educators, it introduces the Histories at War educational package, offering ready-to-use lessons on disinformation, memory conflicts, and critical media literacy.

Topics include Wikipedia as a site of memory manipulation, differing 8/9 May commemorations in Germany, Soviet myths in Georgia, and intergenerational storytelling in Hungary.
Speakers from Germany, Georgia, and Hungary share insights and classroom strategies. Participants receive teaching materials including debate scenarios, quizzes, and historical sources.

Find more resources for your lessons here.

Learn more about the Second World War here.

Public task financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland within the grant competition "Public Diplomacy 2024-2025 - the European dimension and countering disinformation".