Observing Memories Issue 4 | Page 41

Facing up to the shadows of history shouldn ’ t be done in a culture of guilt . Nor should it be instrumentalised to stir up hatred or sectarianism . It is not a moral accessory to look good . Keeping memory alive can do much more than this if we learn to approach it intelligently . It can guide us to understand the world instead of suffering it , to avoid mistakes , to identify dangers – those that come from others but above all those that come from ourselves . The message is empowering : humans are not as helpless as they may think , and they often have the choice to use their power .
Memory can serve not only democracy but Europe as well . With a transnational approach we can learn changing perspective , placing ourselves in the shoes of yesterday ’ s enemy , accepting the view of another country or community on our own history , posing questions and engaging in dialogue . Bringing together European histories at local , national and also family level can help us to shape a European memory that can guide us in these times of disorientation and give us the perspective and the experience necessary to face the challenges that await us .
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In her family research , Géraldine Schwarz got deeper into the Mitläufer figure through the life of her grandparents . Left : her grandfather Karl Schwarz in front of his oil business , 1950s . Right : her grandmother , Lydia Schwarz , at the end of the 1920s . | Personal archive
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