Dr. Michal Šimůnek studied at the Faculty of Philosophy and Faculty of Science of Charles University in Prague (PhD). Currently he is a Researcher at the Institute for Contemporary History of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague. Šimůnek’s main areas of research are the history of life sciences in Bohemia and Moravia in the 19th and 20th centuries as well as science policy.
The presentation delivered by Dr. Šimůnek discussed Nazi euthanasia, “the very first mass killing program of the Nazi state conducted on the psychiatric patients,” specifically focusing on the extension of this action in Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia. Emphasizing the impact of the political division after the Munich Agreement, Dr. Šimůnek outlined how the Nazi euthanasia program, known as Action T4, was implemented in the area, highlighting the selection criteria for patients who were transported to annihilation centers in Nazi Germany, specifically Pirna-Sonnenstein and Hartheim.
Statistical data on victims was shared, revealing the complexities of identifying those who were sent to their deaths, as well as the connection between the euthanasia program and the Holocaust. Additionally, the importance of recognizing and commemorating the victims was highlighted, addressing the “very specific limits of commemoration of these victims” due to the stigmatization and low social status of those affected. Dr. Šimůnek concluded by discussing the historical barriers to research and commemoration, including the secretive nature of the euthanasia program and the subsequent complexities following WWII, particularly in relation to changes in population structure and different legal interpretations of events surrounding the program.
Dr. Dovilė Budrytė is a Professor of Political Science at Georgia Gwinnett College, and works on EUROPAST project at the Institute of International Relations and Political Science at Vilnius University. She also serves as an Invited Researcher at the Vytautas Kavolis Transdisciplinary Research Institute at Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania. Her research interests include memory politics, trauma, Holocaust justice and gender studies. Her publications include articles on various topics related to minority rights and memory politics, one single-authored and five co-edited books, including Memory and Trauma in International Relations: Theories, Cases and Debates (co-editor with Erica Resende) and Defending Memory in Global Politics: Mnemonical In/Security and Crisis (co-editor with Erica Resende and Doug Becker). In 2015, Budrytė was the recipient of the University System of Georgia Excellence in Teaching Award. In 2022-2024, she served as the president of AABS (Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies). She currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of Lituanus, a multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal.