Teaching History in Central Europe
(…)History textbooks are controlled by the state everywhere in the world. History is an extension of official ideology ( democratic or authoritarian) designed to shape common memory about the past and serve as the root of collective identification. Whether we speak of the memory of speeches by Martin Luther that demanded social equality or Jan Plach,s act in the name of freedom, all such events are inscribed in history textbooks to define who we are. Hardly anyone questions the political significance of history, but few are interested in significance in light Visegrad cooperation.
We therefore endeavor to look beyond hero-enemy narratives to draw attention to how neighboring nations make use of history for their co-existance. We report on changes in history education, on the politics of memory, and on the economies behind it all. The problems and promises associated with common history textbooks are also explored. Can we expect a common Visegrad history textbooks in the future? This issue od Vesehrad Insight asks what possibilities rest on the as-yet-unseen horizon.
Wojciech Przybylski
