local.history

Eleven pairs of white shoes stand in front of the wall of an old house. — © Krista und Reinis Dzudzilo

With the local.history funding program, the EVZ Foundation supports locally and regionally active history initiatives from Central and Eastern Europe. Funding is provided for projects aimed at addressing and remembering the period of National Socialism and World War II. The projects deal with places, persons and events of National Socialist history thematically.

Local and current reference

A local reference is used to critical examine aspects of persecution under National Socialism, e.g. NS-forced labor, the persecution of Sinti and Roma, people with disabilities or resistance fighters. Local players and various target groups participate in order to create a contemporary and inclusive culture of remembrance. They reach the local population on locations in this way. It is important for the EVZ Foundation to connect with current debates in society and to raise questions about history from today's perspective.

Documents for call for applications

24.02.2023

Local History: Tact and Endurance

The local.history funding program enables the EVZ Foundation to support local and regional history initiatives in Central and Eastern Europe. Where are the gaps in our cultures of remembrance and the forgotten places of Nationalist Socialist history? Sponsors from Poland report.

© HaWa

#EVZsupported

Several people are standing on a stage equipped with chairs. — Opening event of the "Wojenny Nowy Sącz" project

© Arbresha Goranci

Nowy Sącz

What do the project sponsor and the EVZ Foundation intend to achieve with the project?

The Polish city of Nowy Sącz and its citizens underwent major changes as a result of the German occupation during the National Socialist era. However, these historical traces are largely invisible in Nowy Sącz – unlike in Warsaw, for example, where one can still trace the outlines of the Warsaw Ghetto within the city. During the project, a virtual map of the city, short films, podcasts, and audio and video testimonies in English and Polish were created to revive the memory of local evidence and events.

Who is involved, and whom does the project reach?

The map is used as a source in schools of all levels (including the University for Senior Citizens). The map is also intended for practical use in local and all-Polish tourism organizations. Five other civic institutions and organizations joined the project, including a cultural center, the public library and the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession.

Why is the Foundation funding this project in particular?

As a combination of local history and contemporary tourism, the project is of vital importance to the region and serves as best practice model for other initiatives and locations. The website content is sustainably visible and can be expanded.

Project sponsor: Fundacja Nomina Rosae Ogrod Kultury Dawnej
Funding period: 2021 to 2023
Funding amount: 45,000 euros
Funding country: Poland
Websites:
Project: www.wojennysacz.pl
Sponsor: https://nomina.pl/en

A soft pink plush figure hangs in an exhibition space. — Installation by fashion designer and artist Helena Bohle-Szacki.

© Centralne Muzeum Włókiennictwa w Łodzi

"Helena Bohle-Szacka. Przenikanie" – a multidisciplinary exhibition and research project

What does the EVZ Foundation intend to achieve with the project?

The project keeps alive the memory of Helena Bohle-Szacka – an artist, fashion and graphic designer, and also a concentration camp survivor – and puts her into the context of local history in Łódź.

Who’s involved, and who does the project reach?

With its artistic approach, the project reaches diverse target groups who are concerned with the topics of persecution and NS forced labor in a local context.

Why is the Foundation supporting this project in particular?

History and art are interconnected. Spaces are created to look at the biography of Helena Bohle-Szacka as well as the history of NS forced labor. The exhibition does not only show the past; it looks at the present and gives a warning against hatred and aggression within societies.

Project sponsor: Centralne Muzeum Włókiennictwa w Łodzi
Duration of the project: 2021-2022
Funding amount: EUR 58,206
Funding country: Republic of Poland
Website: https://cmwl.pl/public

A pulled-out exhibition drawer reveals a historical photo of a group of people. — The exhibition in Cēsis.

© https://sirdsapzinasugunskurs.lv

"Breaking the Silence" performance in Latvia

On August 10, 1941 a small community of Jews in Latvia was exterminated. The mass grave is located in the forest, about 3 km from the city center of Cesis.

What is the EVZ Foundation aiming to achieve with this project?

The aim of the project is to increase awareness in contemporary society of the traumatic legacy of the totalitarian past, in particular the Holocaust. Contemporary audiovisual art performances and art objects in the public space of the town of Cesis render the events of the time tangible and experienceable. In podcasts, participating artists talk about the importance of living memory of the victims of totalitarianism and its significance for the defense of democracy now.

Who is involved in the project, and who is it reaching?

The project will be carried out in four languages with the help of prominent Latvian artists and partner organizations. The local population is involved in the project.

Why is the EVZ supporting this particular project?

The project takes place in a small town, but it is symbolic and can become one of the best practice projects in the country and also in Europe on account of its artistic approach.

Project sponsor: BURNING CONSCIENCE Exhibition Support Foundation; Cooperating Partners: Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung e. V., Embassy of Israel to Latvia, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany to Latvia
Duration of the project: 2021-2022
Funding amount: 60.000 €
Funding country: Latvia
Website: sirdsapzinasugunskurs.lv

screen der Projektseite https://stalag352story.by — © screen https://stalag352story.by

Virtual Museum of the Prisoner of War Camp Stalag 352 in Minsk

What is the EVZ Foundation aiming to achieve with this project?

The project tells the story of Soviet prisoners of war, using the example of the Stalag 352 history in multimedia form. 5.7 million Soviet soldiers were taken prisoner by the Germans. Of these, up to 3.35 million, i.e. more than half, died: due to hunger, disease, hard labor or targeted killings. This makes them one of the largest victim groups of World War II, along with the Soviet civilian population and the European Jews.

Who is involved in the project, and who is it reaching?

In this project, historians and web developers work together with residents of Masyukovshchyna, located on the outskirts of Minsk close to the former Stalag. The aim is not just to remember, but also to include the neglected location itself and to make it usable.

Why is the EVZ supporting this particular project?

The local population will be involved in the preparation of the memorial site. The issue of prisoners of war in Belarus has not been addressed much until now and it will receive more attention through the project. The digital level will be taken into account from the start for a new memorial site. As it is unclear what will happen to the site, the project can be documented this way. The PR work strengthens the local civil society initiative which has been working for remembrance for years.

Project sponsor: Republican Union of Tourism Industry
Duration of the project: 2021-2022
Funding amount: 50.306 Euro
Funding country: Belarus
Website: Stalag352.by
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