"Once upon a time..." - this is how fairy tales start. These words sound so familiar to most people as fairy tales have been passed on from generation to generation, told and retold. When people talk about history, memory and identity, something very similar happens. They constantly tell a story about themselves, the communities and states they live in. These so called narratives help people make sense of reality and they are made up of diverse facts, myths, official commemoration and personal memories. Like any other story, they are constantly shaped and reshaped through communication and reflect the values, interpretations and political objectives of the communities and people who share it. Thus, any narrative could start like a tale in present: "Once upon today...in Europe."
"Once upon today.. in Europe" focuses on issues of belonging and identity in Europe: Which stories about Europe exist in different local, national or other commemorative cultures? How are these stories shaped? Which aspects become important, while others are neglected? And how can institutions for historical education and active citizenship deal with these questions in a way that brings people together?
For more information visit our project blog.
Partners and Sponsors
Krzyżowa Foundation for European Understanding, Poland
Young Journalists' Association "Polis", Poland
University of Tallinn, Estonia
Viimsi Keskkool, Estonia
Evangelische Akademien in Deutschland
The National Association of Young Historians of Moldova (ANTIM)
Educational Initiatives Centre, Ukraine
Foundation ChangeLog, Ukraine
The project is co-financed by the European Union programme Erasmus+.
