COMMEMORATION OF HOLOCAUST VICTIMS:
10 YEARS OF GEDENKDIENST ACTIVITY IN LITHUANIA
ONE DAY SYMPOSIUM
13 SEPTEMBER 2006
11 a.m. - 18 p.m.
Working language: English
With simultaneous translation English-Lithuanian, Lithuanian-English
Address: Tolerance Center of the Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum
Naugarduko str. 10/2, LT 01141 Vilnius, Lithuania
Tel.: +370 5 2624590, +370 5 2127083
Fax.: +370 5 2127083, +370 5 2312358
E-mail: jewishmuseum@jmuseum.lt,
www.jmuseum.lt
The series of events in the world and in Europe after the landmark catastrophe of 9/11 have pushed to the forefront of political and educational agenda the themes of inter-cultural and inter-faith relations.
On the wave of these new developments came the upsurge of anti-Semitic incidents, which happened on European soil and were related, mostly, to the situation in the Middle East. All the same, they were easily recognizable through the eyes of the European experience of age-old and Nazi-era anti-Semitic stereotyping of the Jews. Besides, the latest pronouncements of the newly elected leader in Iran calling Holocaust a myth also show how the European past is playing a role in the directions the world is moving,
That is why, in the understanding of the organizers of the Symposium in Lithuania, where losses of its Jewish population was one of the highest in Europe, education in European history and, particularly in Holocaust as the ultimate example of the biggest state-organized hate-crime in history, still remains one of
the important elements in building a democratic society based on human rights and human dignity.
The Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum and the organization "Gedenkdienst", as well as other Jewish and non-Jewish, governmental and non-governmental organizations, including the diplomatic corps in Lithuania have contributed a lot in commemorating the Holocaust victims and survivors, in creating a better understanding of the systematic genocide of Lithuania's Jewish population and, in particular, in disseminating knowledge about it. Within the Jewish Museum, the volunteers from Austria participated largely and sincerely in these works and played an important role bringing forward tolerance and commemorating the Holocaust victims,
The organizers believe that the Symposium will offer the participants and the wider international audience some significant insights resulting from comparison of two societies during important stages of their turn-of the century history. The event is designed to present the activities of the Austrian "Gedenkdienstleistende" (Gedenkdienst volunteers) in the last 10 years in Lithuania and to deal on academic level with various aspects in the vast area of "Holocaust" - Holocaust itself, education in Holocaust, changes in public and governmental perception of Holocaust, governmental restitution. We believe that comparing some remarkable moments of modern Austrian and Lithuanian experience may be very fruitful in this context.
Timetable
10:00 Visiting of expositions in Tolerance Center
11:00 Opening of the symposium
Opening speeches
11:30 Lectures - Part I.
Chair: Mr, Markas Zingeris, Director of the Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum
11:30 Mag. Hannah M. Lessing, Secretary General of the National Fund and the General Settlement Fund in Austria
“'Austria confronting her past”
12:00 Dr. Egidijus Aleksandravicius, Vytautas Magnus University, Head of the Centre of Lithuanian Diaspora Studies, Director of Lithuanian Emigration Institute
“The Holocaust and the Traumas of Lithuanian Memory”
12:30 Coffee break
13:30 Lectures - Part II.
Chair: Mrs, Rachel Kostanian, Vice Director of the Viina Gaon Jewish State Museum
13:30 Dr. Arunas Bubnys, Lithuanian Institute of History
“Changes in Lithuanian historiography and education on Holocaust”
14:00 Mag. Gregor Ribarov, Chairman of the Austrian Organization Gedenkdienst
“Organization "Gedenkdienst" - Perceptions beyond the final stroke ”
14:30 Mag, John Evers, Historian and technical coordinator of the Austrian Organization Gedenkdienst
“From "Druckebergern" (shirkers) to small and cheap ambassadors? Image, change and future of "Gedenkdienst" in Austria - some aspects”
15:00 Coffee break
15:30 Lectures - Part III.
Chair: MA Ruta Puishyte, Vilnius Yiddish Institute
15:30 Mrs. Rachel Kostanian, The Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum
“The Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum and the activity of the Gedenkdienstleistenden”
15:50 Mag. Norbert Hinterleitner, Anne Frank House Amsterdam
“An example of cooperation of Holocaust memorial and educational institutions through Gedenkdienst in Europe. The cooperation of the Anne Frank House (Amsterdam) and the Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum (Vilnius) from 1998-2004”.
16:10 Round Table with Gedenkdienstleistenden
Moderation: MA Ruta Puishyte, Vilnius Yiddish Institute
Participation: Johannes Thaler
Wolfhardt Freinbichler
Florion Forster
Sepp R. Brudermann
Alex Gruber
Philipp Herzog
Felix Prechti
Johannes Longer
Michael Kieber
Stefan Pierer
18:00 Closing of the symposium
Organized by
The Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum was reopened in 1989, since then its main aim has been to keep alive the memory of the Litvak (Lithuanian-Jewish) history and culture, as well as to conduct research on it. Through its exhibitions, books, conferences and educational projects it wants to inform tourists from all over the world about the Jewish history of Lithuania and to develop the historical consciousness of Lithuanian society, as it was distorted under Soviet rule and as the absence of knowledge about the culture and annihilation of Lithuanian Jewry has resulted in misleading stereotypes. The museum's Tolerance center was opened in 2001 in the building of a former Jewish theatre. Its event hall offers space for temporary exhibitions, conferences, cultural events and educational projects with the aim of working towards a more tolerant society.
The politically independent organization "Gedenkdienst" was established in Austria in 1991, after the country has faced - with the scandal of President Waldheim's past - the result of its long-lasting and inadequate understanding of its own history as the "first victim" of Nazi-Germany. The "Gedenkdienst" is performing educational work about the Holocaust, its causes, and its consequences. Particular attention is focused on the role of Austrians as "perpetrators, victims and observers". The organization's activities range from the organization of lectures and seminars, through the publishing of a newspaper to offering young Austrians the possibility to do a Holocaust memorial service instead of joining the army-service in Austria.
Embassy of Austria was opened in Vilnius in June 1997. Shortly later also Austrian Embassies in Riga and in Tallinn were established, After an initial period at a small office, the Embassy moved in the year 2000 to newly refurbished premises in Gaono street 6 in Vilnius old town. Until 2001 Mr, Florian Haug worked in Vilnius, being Austria's first Ambassador to Lithuania. Since 2001, Ambassador Michael Schwarzinger has been in charge. The Embassy is a multifunctional office, assuring consular assistance to Austrian and, if necessary, also to other foreign EU nationals and offering consular services to Lithuanian and other nationals regarding visas or residence permits. The embassy also maintains numerous contacts with Lithuanian authorities and institutions and organizes or sponsors cultural events in Lithuania.
We thank the sponsors and participating institutions of the symposium:
Anne Frank House Amsterdam, www.annefrank.org
Embassy of Austria, Ambassador Dr. Michael Schwarzinger, www.bmaa.gv.at, www.aussenministerium.at/wilna
Organization Gedenkdienst, www.gedenkdienst.at
The Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum, www.jmuseum.lt
Vilnius Yiddish Institute, www.judaicvilnius.com
Zukunftsfonds der Republik Osterreich, www.zukunftsfonds-austria.at
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