Viola Scalacci, Author at LRE Foundation

The LRE Foundation welcomes a new prominent member: the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge

Posted on March 17, 2023March 17, 2023 by Viola Scalacci

The LRE is delighted to announce the recent addition of the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge to its network.

The Volksbund (German War Graves Commission) is dedicated to the task of locating and recovering war dead abroad, providing a dignified burial for them, and maintaining their gravesites, in more than 46 countries. Moreover, it is committed to the culture of commemoration and remembrance and offers international youth initiatives such as the ‘Peace Line’ project, which promotes the education of young people at the final resting sites of those lost to war.

The LRE Foundation and the Volksbund will work together on developing and expanding existing projects in Germany, such as the Liberation Route Europe, its network, and the Europe Remembers platform, as well as new programmes and projects based on shared ideas. In particular, the two organisations will cooperate on youth engagement through a combined effort, with the aim of reinforcing each other’s initiatives.

Rémi Praud, Managing Director of LRE Foundation, said of the new membership: “We are very happy to welcome the Volksbund into our foundation, and look forward to working with such a committed and impactful organisation. We desire to expand our partnerships in Germany, and with Volksbund as a member, a cooperation is established, which will enrich the LRE network and pave the way for valuable exchanges on memory transmission and the future of commemoration, as well as more awareness of the many war graves across Europe”.

“The cooperation with the LRE offers the Volksbund the opportunity to draw attention to the war graves abroad. Here, visitors get to feel and experience the changing history of the historical sites, and learn about the value of peace in Europe”, Dirk Backen, Secretary General of the Volksbund, added.

LRE Forum 2023: a look back at this very special edition!

Posted on March 15, 2023March 15, 2023 by Viola Scalacci

Two weeks ago, the LRE Forum 2023, organised by the LRE Foundation and LRE Italy with the contribution and patronage of Regione Toscana and Toscana Promozione Turistica, was held in the picturesque city of Florence. For three days, events and activities brought together a variety of international members and partners of the organising institutions, as well as tourism stakeholders from across the World War II remembrance sector.

We are extremely grateful for the considerable turnout at all the Forum events. Indeed, one of the main goals of the LRE Foundation is to bring together international WWII memory stakeholders to facilitate international cooperation and multi-perspective discussion on WWII history and remembrance. It makes us proud to see that this goal was reflected in our annual gathering.

The welcome cocktail

The LRE Forum 2023 began on Thursday 28th February, with a welcome cocktail on the B-roof, the famous Hotel Baglioni’s rooftop. This beautiful venue welcomed us with one of Florence’s most breath-taking views. Rémi Praud, LREF Managing Director, and Carlo Puddu. LRE Italy Director, greeted all LREF members and partners with welcome speeches, officially opening the LRE Forum 2023.

The Member Seminar

The Member Seminar began the following day at the Auditorium al Duomo. During the first part of the event, Rémi Praud and his team spoke to LREF members and partners about the LREF Governance and Network, discussing the latest news on the Foundation’s National Branches, the Member Council, and the LRE Guide Network. The LRE Foundation Team, alongside project partners’ representatives, then provided updates on some of the most important LREF projects, including the Liberation Route Europe Hiking Trails, Europe Remembers, the LRE Youth Programme, and “Resistance Through Their Eyes” project. Later, some members and partners presented their organisations’ best practices and most recent news. Finally, Jordi Guixé, Scientific Director of the European Observatory on Memories, led a thematic session on the diverse challenges of WWII Memory in Europe.

The LRE Conference

That same afternoon, the LRE Conference welcomed more than 110 participants from all over Europe and North America. The event was moderated by British author and historian, Keith Lowe, and opened with a keynote speech by Georgiy Kasianov, Head of the Laboratory of International Memory Studies at Maria Curie-Skodowska University in Lublin. Professor Kasianov spoke about the use and abuse of WWII Memory and its repercussions in the Ukraine Region, in Europe, and globally.

This speech was followed by a panel debate on the complex relationship between nationalism and WWII memory. The panel featured Áron Máthé, Deputy Chair of the Committee of National Remembrance of Hungary, Guri Schwarz, Professor of Contemporary History at the University of Genoa, Jade McGlynn, researcher at the Department of War Studies, Kings College, and Kees Ribbens, Professor at the Institute for War, Holocaust, and Genocide Studies in Amsterdam. It was fascinating to hear various approaches and points of view on such a complex subject.

For the second part of the LRE Conference, the main topic was the political pressures that museum curators and museologists must contend with in order to frame WWII memory in a particular way. The panel discussion included current and former museum directors such as Gundula Bavendamm, Director of the Documentation Centre for Displacement, Expulsion, and Reconciliation in Berlin, Paweł Machcewicz, Professor at the Institute of Political Studies in Warsaw, and Kaja Širok, researcher at the University of Nova Gorica’s School of Humanities.

To conclude the conference, Keith Lowe interviewed Katrin Himmler, German author, Political Scientist and great-niece of Heinrich Himmler, head of Hitler’s SS. During the interview she discussed how crucial it was for her to confront her family’s story honestly, how her research changed her perspective on her relatives, and the significance of her work with students and young people.

The Gala Dinner

The second day of the LRE Forum 2023 concluded with a Gala dinner at the luxurious Palazzo Borghese. The stunning palace halls formed the ideal setting for presenting and welcoming the LRE Foundation’s new members and partners, networking, and enjoying each other’s company over some delicious Italian cuisine.

The LREXPO and Site Visits

On 2nd March, the LRE Forum 2023 continued with the annual thematic trade show, the LREXPO, allowing Foundation members and partners to connect and showcase their destinations to international tour operators and travel trade stakeholders. The EXPO was followed by the first part of the site visits. Participants visited the Museo Gotica Ponzalla at Giogo Pass, and then a surprisingly snowy Futa Pass for a visit to the German Military Cemetery. The weather made for an atmospheric visit, imagining the troops enduring so much in similar conditions during WWII. On the second day of site visits, participants had the opportunity to see the Florence American Cemetery, explore the Military Geographical Institute Florence, and participate in a Florence WW2 City Tour.

FAM Trips

Aside from site visits, FAM trips were organised for both European and North American tour operators. Following the Italy part of the FAM trip, which included visits to the Florence American Cemetery, the  Museum of Memory in Borgo a Mozzano, Lucca, and the Gotica Ponzalla Museum, tour operators from the United States and Canada then continued the trip from to the Netherlands and Belgium. Here they were greeted by several museums, hotels, and attractions along the Liberation Route Europe. This extended FAM trip was organised in collaboration with the European Travel Commission (co-funded by the European Union) and included visits to the Liberation Garden Museum in Leopoldsburg, Geronimo Museum, Fletcher Hotel Erica, the Canadian War Cemetery and Freedom Museum in Groesbeek, the beautiful Kröller-Müller Museum, and Gemeente Apeldoorn.

We would like to express our gratitude to all attendees and supporters for helping to make this edition of the LRE Forum particularly special. We sincerely hope you had as wonderful of a time in Florence as we did, and that you returned home feeling inspired by the events and armed with fresh perspectives on how to raise awareness of World War II and make history more approachable to a wider audience.

International guides met in Dachau for a workshop part of the Persecution through their Eyes project

Posted on February 13, 2023February 13, 2023 by Viola Scalacci

Last week, the LRE Guide Network gathered in Dachau for an LRE Foundation guide workshop which aimed to explore how to present the topic of persecution, particularly to a young audience.

Persecution through their eyes project

The two-day guides workshop was one of the several activities that comprise “Persecution Through Their Eyes”, an EU-funded LRE Youth Programme involving a number of international partners: Camp Vught National Memorial (Netherlands),  Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials Foundation (Germany), the National Peace Park of Sant’Anna di Stazzema (Italy), and “Grodzka Gate ‐ NN Theatre” Centre in Lublin (Poland).

Adopting a multi-perspective approach, the project focuses on a deeper understanding of the international dimension of persecution during the Second World War.

The guides workshop’s focus and programme

Genocide, persecution, and ethnic cleansing are sensitive topics that can elicit strong emotions and reactions. In order to deal with this, historical guides must have strong guiding skills. Even if there is no single ideal methodology, the goal of the LRE Foundation guides workshop was to provide guidelines and advice on how to tell the horrors of war, particularly to young people, while sharing best practices from several institutions with expertise in teaching and guiding on the topic of persecution.

On the first day, participants had the opportunity to listen to the experiences of persecution remembrance sites and memorials such as “Grodzka Gate ‐ NN Theatre” Centre, Sant’Anna di Stazzema, and Max Mannheimer Study Center. They also had the chance to put what they learned into practice by creating stories that could give faces to the many victims of the Nazi regime.

Instead, the emphasis on the second day was on storytelling techniques and practical methods for creating dynamic tensions in order to capture and hold the audience’s attention.

“It was a great and interesting meeting.”, says Joël Stoppels, LRE Project Officer, “During the workshops, guides from the US, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy and France learned from each other. It was a very good way to share knowledge of how to tell stories of persecution, especially to a young audience through the workshops.”

The LRE Foundation welcomes a new prominent member: the Directorate General for Tourism in Luxembourg!

Posted on February 7, 2023February 7, 2023 by Viola Scalacci

The LRE Foundation is proud to announce the recent addition of the Luxembourgish Directorate General for Tourism to its network of members across Europe. A key institution in a country with a painful yet proud WWII history and heritage.

In May 1940, Nazi Germany occupied Luxembourg, and in 1942 they annexed the country. The occupation was long and harsh, leading to extensive resistance, with Luxembourgish soldiers joining Allied units until the country’s liberation in 1944.

Together, the LRE Foundation and the Directorate General for Tourism will work to develop the Liberation Route network and hiking trails in Luxembourg, connecting it to the existing European-wide system that follows in the footsteps of the Allied Forces in their advance to liberate continental Europe from Nazi occupation. The goal is to highlight the country’s many remembrance sites and its rich history and heritage through an innovative and sustainable tourism product. The two institutions will also work together on a promotional campaign to raise awareness of the Luxembourgish past and WWII involvement, placing it in a wider European landscape.

Rémi Praud, Managing Director of LRE Foundation, said of the new membership: “This collaboration will bring incredible value to the LRE Foundation and its network. We have already started our work together, and it is a pleasure to collaborate with such a prominent institution with clear values and goals regarding memory transmission and remembrance. This connection allows us to include even more stories linked to such an important part of WWII history.”

Lex Delles, Luxembourg’s Minister for Tourism, emphasizes in this context that “the conflicts of the 20th century have shaped Luxembourg’s contemporary identity. As a founding member of the European Union, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg defends the values of freedom, solidarity, tolerance, and pluralism. Memory transmission and remembrance are a duty. Therefore, remembrance tourism is one of the government’s priorities. In this context I warmly welcome the collaboration with the LRE Foundation.”

LRE Conference 2023 – Resistance: WWII Memory on the Edge

Posted on January 25, 2023April 21, 2023 by Viola Scalacci

The LRE Conference, which this year will take place on March 1 in Florence, is one of the key learning events of the LRE Forum, the Foundation’s annual multi-day event that brings together members, partners, and tourism stakeholders to hear updates from experts, network, and attend specialised travel trade events.

The British historian and author Keith Lowe has been appointed curator of this year’s Conference and will serve as moderator throughout the event.

In a video interview, we asked him about the programme and the central focus of this year’s LRE Conference.

All of the conference speeches and debates will revolve around one major concept: we are living in a time of social, political, and technological changes with an outstanding impact on the way we deal with remembrance. During the conference, academics and museum professionals from across Europe will explore the consequences of all these changes, and the threats that they pose to our communal understanding of the Second World War. Can nuanced history survive in the age of Twitter and Facebook? Does our compulsive memorialising of the war promote reconciliation or merely create more division? Are there parallels between today’s populism and the populism of the 1930s and 40s? Will the passing of the wartime generation open up new possibilities for debate, or merely shut them down?

In summary, should we resist the changing landscape of memory, or should we embrace it?

The LRE Conference 2023 programme

In the first part of the conference, Ukrainian historian and university professor Georgiy Kasianov (Head of the Laboratory of International Memory
Studies at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University) will deliver a keynote address on the use and abuse of WWII memory in Ukraine’s ongoing war.

Kasianov’s speech will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Hungarian historian Áron Máthé (Committee of National Remembrance, Hungary), researcher Jade McGlynn (Department of War Studies, Kings College, London) and historic professor Kees Ribbens (Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Amsterdam) on the impact of present-day nationalism on WWII memory and heritage.

In the third part of the conference, another panel discussion will take place, this time between German historian and cultural manager Gundula Bavendamm (Documentation Centre for Displacement, Expulsion and Reconciliation, Berlin), Polish historian and professor Paweł Machcewicz (Institute of Political Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw), and Slovenian historian, museologist, and politician Kaja Širok (School of Humanities, University of Nova Gorica). During the panel, the three current and former museum directors will discuss the intense pressures they have faced to tell the story of the war in particular ways.

The conference will eventually conclude with an interview with German author and political scientist Katrin Himmler about the importance of confronting the past and WWII history honestly.

Check out the video and let Keith Lowe’s words and thoughts guide you through a sneak peek of the LRE Conference 2023.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd_zToI7z6c&feature=youtu.be

The LRE Foundation kicks off its new project funded by the European Union: “Resistance through their EYES”

Posted on January 24, 2023April 21, 2023 by Viola Scalacci

The LRE Foundation invited its project partners to Brussels on January 12 and 13 to officially kick off the new project “Resistance through their Eyes,” which is a part of the successful “Through their Eyes” series.

The LRE Foundation is collaborating with the Resistance Museum in the Netherlands, the Home Army Museum in Poland, the White Rose Foundation in Germany, the City of Milan in Italy, and the Ferruccio Parri National Institute in Italy to organise a project that uses a multi-national, multi-perspective approach to illustrate the international dimension of the history of the resistance in Europe during the Second World War.

This project, “Resistance through their Eyes” realised nearly 80 years after the end of the Second World War, aims to publicise the diverse experiences of those in the resistance, including women, students, and minorities, as well as to emphasize the importance of protecting human rights and to reject all forms of discrimination based on race, religion, ethnicity, gender, identity, and sexual orientation. The project, funded by the European Union as part of the Citizens, Equality, Rights, and Values programme, will also promote youth education through first-hand visits to historical sites of remembrance and international dialogue that addresses the three aforementioned goals.

To fully realise this aim, the project partners will organise a series of events addressed to students from the participating countries, teachers, education officers, guides, WWII educators, and stakeholders.

During this meeting, the participants discussed the various stages of the project, including subsequent events such as WWII international workshops, the creation of historical content, travelling exhibitions in different language formats, four youth events, and one online exhibition with the purpose of reaching a wider audience. These events will demonstrate various balancing perspectives of resistance forms along with their consequences.

Rémi Praud, Managing Director of the LRE Foundation: “It was an absolute pleasure to welcome some of the partner representatives to our office in Brussels for what turned out to be an insightful kick-off meeting. We are happy to work with such outstanding cultural institutions on this project that aims to encourage the younger generations to learn more about WWII resistance movements through a selection of engaging and fascinating stories and events. I am sure this collaboration will result in a various number of excellent events offering the younger generation a multi-perspective and comprehensive view of such an important part of European history.”

LRE UK hosts first outreach event in Portsmouth: an opportunity to involve local stakeholders in the UK section of the LRE Hiking Trails network

Posted on January 19, 2023January 19, 2023 by Viola Scalacci

On Wednesday 18 January the UK branch of the LRE Foundation held its first UK outreach event in Portsmouth, southern England. This was an exciting opportunity to present the UK section of the Liberation Route Europe Hiking Trails project to local stakeholders and potential members, and to hear their feedback. It is the first of three outreach events in the UK this year, with two more taking place in Lincoln and London in the coming months.

The event was hosted by Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and organised by Ben Mayne, Director of LRE UK, and Emme Johnson, Project Officer, LRE Foundation. BBC Broadcaster and Speaker, Dave Sharpe, was MC of the event, and together they presented the LRE Foundation, its partners, work and projects in an interactive and informative session. A key focus was the LRE Hiking Trails project, and after highlighting the progress so far in the trails network being developed in the county of Hampshire, they invited stakeholders to ask questions and discuss how they can be involved.

Following this, a panel discussion between four panellists, each representing a different sector, discussed the benefits of the project, how it can support the local area, and the impact it could have. Sharing their insights and specialist knowledge with the audience, they demonstrated the multidiscipline approach of the Foundation and project, and the variety of interests and backgrounds of those involved. The panellists included:

Caroline Barrie-Smith, Head of Audience Engagement at Museum of London Archaeology & involved in CITiZAN project on coastal erosion
Dr Victoria Humphreys, Author & Battlefield Guide
Ross Fairbrother, General Manager at The D-Day Story Museum, and LRE UK member
Robert James, Senior Lecturer in Cultural and Social History, University of Portsmouth

The UK section of the LRE Hiking Trails project is still in its initial phases, however the network will cover the North, East and West of Hampshire, and is simultaneously being developed in Lincolnshire. Another outreach event will be held at the International Bomber Command Centre (an LRE UK member) in Lincoln in February, with a third taking place at the Churchill War Rooms in London in March.

“The UK has a lot to offer the Liberation Route Europe Hiking Trail project, and the new routes will enable many people to explore the stunning countryside, fascinating stories, and unique historical sites and museums.”, said Ben Mayne, LRE UK Director, “Designed as a sustainable tourism product, the network aims to help drive positive tourism across multiple counties and contribute to the local economy. We are excited to be progressing with the route and look forward to the exciting developments to come!”

LRE Foundation presents a new project with the support of the vfonds: the Liberation Route Cycling Routes

Posted on January 16, 2023February 8, 2023 by Viola Scalacci

2023 kicks off with more great news: thanks to financial support from the vfonds, the Dutch Fund for Peace, Freedom and Veteran Care, the LRE Foundation presents a new development of the Liberation Route Europe project, the Liberation Route Cycling Routes! The new cycling route planner will enable even more people across Europe to actively participate in the commemoration and remembrance of World War II, reflecting on the value of freedom, democracy, and peace, while enjoying some active time outdoors. The LRE Foundation team is at work to make the first cycling routes available by Spring 2023.

Since 2021, the LRE Foundation has been working on the Liberation Route Europe hiking trails, a sustainable tourism project linking places and stories related to the liberation of Europe at the end of WWII. The trail system consists of many different walking routes, from long hikes to one-day or half-day itineraries, all of which can be planned on www.liberationroute.com or the Liberation Route mobile app. Along the way, walkers can find many remembrance sites and museums, and read or listen to stories from the final stages of WWII. Around 200 points of interest along the route have already been marked with trail markers called ‘Vectors of Memory’, designed by American architect Daniel Libeskind

“Following in the footsteps of the Polish Liberators” Cycling Route

This year thanks to vfund the LRE Foundation will add the first cycling route to Liberation Route Europe. “Following in the footsteps of the Polish Liberators” will be a unique cycling route through the Netherlands, commemorating the Polish troops’ efforts during the country’s liberation. Indeed, although the role of Polish forces during the War is often downplayed or ignored, the First Polish Armored Division of General Maczek and the First Independent Parachute Brigade of General Sosabowski played a crucial role in the liberation of the Netherlands.

The Polish liberators symbolize the suffering inflicted by war on ordinary civilians. In 1942, the 1st Polish Armored Division was formed in Britain from the children of immigrants, labour camp refugees, escaped prisoners of war, and soldiers who managed to flee Poland after its downfall. The Polish people hoped to liberate their homeland; however, their deployment was limited to Western Europe, and many could not return to Poland after the war because of the new communist regime. In this light, the new cycling route, which will be built around stories like these, will aim to show the huge impact that war has on the lives of ordinary citizens.

Since the new route’s impending launch, the LRE Foundation is seeking cooperation with, among others, the Polish Embassy in The Hague, the Maczek Memorial, the Driel-Polen Foundation, and Brabant Remembers

Photo by Jonathan-Andrew

LRE France is the new operational branch of the LRE Foundation

Posted on January 10, 2023January 10, 2023 by Viola Scalacci

After months of work, we are happy to announce that LRE Foundation has a new operational branch: LRE France!

Following the founding of LRE Italy and LRE UK, the establishment of LRE France is an important step forward for the LRE Foundation, which aims to expand its network and connect the various WWII memorial sites in Europe through a wide range of projects, including Liberation Route Europe, the Certified Cultural Route following the advance of the Allies during WWII, and Europe Remembers, the online portal for European remembrance events and historical sites.

“I am delighted that the LRE France organization is now up and running. It will play an invaluable role in the development of our activities in France and the growth of our network.”, said Rémi Praud, LRE Foundation Managing Director.

The historian and remembrance tourism expert Isabelle Lebreton has been named director of LRE France, where she will assist the LRE Foundation in developing new projects in the country. “I am really happy to join the LRE project.”, Isabelle Lebreton sayd. “I wish to contribute to the development of meaningful remembrance projects in France. Through the “Route de la Liberation” in particular and with the help of partners that I am eager to meet.”

The major goal of LRE France is to support the dissemination of WWII memory in France by developing the “Route de la Libération,” a cultural and memorial route that connects the regions liberated from Nazi occupation between 1944 and 1945. The aim is to extend the existing Liberation Route Europe hiking path, totaling 1500 kilometers of trails and developing themed routes and historical content. The Fédération Française de Randonnées, the French hiking federation, is one of LRE France’s key partners and will help in this mission.

2023 will be an important and productive year for the new LRE branch and will kick off with the organization of numerous outreach events. The first one is scheduled for March and will take place in northern France. These occasions will be ideal for introducing LRE France’s projects and objectives in order to attract new members and partners.