Remembrance of the Second World War in Romania and the Republic of Moldova

Monuments, cemeteries and museums for the victors, the fallen and the victims of the Holocaust

Germany · Moldova · Romania

After 1989 it became possible for the first time in the Republic of Moldova and Romania to reconsider the main events of recent national history, primarily the background and consequences of the Second World War, and to challenge the socialist or soviet version of history. This project aims to document and analyse the different remembrance cultures of the two countries in relation to the Second World War through the discussion of monuments, cemeteries and museums. As well as specific memorial sites, it will illuminate the significance and public perception of commemorative and celebratory days. Key interpretative patterns regarding winners/losers and perpetrators/victims will be discussed for each country. The extent to which the Holocaust occupies an ongoing place in the remembrance politics of the two states will be examined. Important questions posed by the project are: what are the debates about remembrance around WWII? What interpretative differences can be discerned in the Republic of Moldova and Romania?

Ten Moldovan and German students will investigate into the remembrance of World War Two in the republic of Moldova and Romania under the guidance of experts. The results will be gathered on one data CD and presented to a wider audience and discussed with European and local experts at a workshop held in Chisinau.