Videos

The 13th European Remembrance Symposium & International Conference, held in Helsinki in June 2025, marked the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act. Organized by the European Network of Remembrance and Solidarity and partners, the event explored the historical and contemporary significance of the 1975 Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE).
Through panels, discussions, and site visits, participants reflected on the Spirit of Helsinki, its impact on Cold War diplomacy, human rights, and civic movements in Eastern Europe, and examined its relevance to today’s global challenges, including conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The symposium gathered historians, diplomats, educators, and cultural professionals to foster dialogue and international cooperation around memory, history, and peacebuilding.

Learn more about the 2025 event here.

Recording from the 8th discussion within the To Understand Memory series, from 26 June 2025.

Do you get tired of looking at war?
Walking down the street you see: a monument commemorating fighting soldiers, a plaque commemorating murdered civilians, a billboard with a propaganda slogan. A newspaper with a photograph from the front lies on the street, someone has sent you a new meme with Putin, you are watching a recording from the trenches.
Culture reacts to catastrophe in different ways: sometimes it can distort it, sometimes it helps us understand it. The 80th anniversary of the end of World War II is a moment to reflect on what images of war we see every day and whether they talk about the past - and the present - in a responsible, accurate and important way.

Listen to the conversation with Keith Lowe, historian and author of Prisoners of History, which explores the monuments that shape our memory of World War II, and Tomasz Szerszeń, essayist and author of Being a Guest in a Catastrophe, a reflection on the visual language of war in Ukraine.

The discussion is hosted by Małgorzata Pakier, head of the Academic Department at the European Network Remembrance and Solidarity.

Learn more about the To Understand Memory series here.

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.

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.

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