This new edition of the School on European Memories addresses one of the most pressing challenges facing European democracies: the growing influence of pseudo-historical revisionism and the instrumentalisation of the past for political purposes. Under the guiding question “Who owns the past?”, the School will explore how history is written, transmitted, appropriated, and sometimes distorted in contemporary public discourse. The programme seeks to: Examine the mechanisms and actors behind revisionist and manipulative uses of history Analyse the impact of social media ecosystems on the transmission of historical knowledge Critically assess the uses and abuses of the recent past by far-right and illiberal movements Strengthen strategies of resistance grounded in academic research, critical pedagogy, and responsible public communication Promote active citizenship as a response to memory manipulation By fostering rigorous debate and interdisciplinary exchange, the School reinforces the idea that democratic memory is not merely about preserving the past, but about safeguarding democratic culture in the present.
The School brings together 25 young participants for an intensive three-day experience at the Jean Monnet House (Houjarray, Bazoche-sur-Gayone, France) combining academic sessions and interactive workshops with scholars and public voices. Discussions will be held in English and will focus on: Competing European memory narrativesThe role of social media in shaping historical knowledge Strategies of resistance through research, critical education, and responsible public communication Active citizenship and democratic resilience Participants will collaboratively produce new episodes of Talking Memories, the School’s podcast. Through a guided editorial and hands-on production workshop, they will work in small teams to transform the debates and insights emerging during the School into accessible, well-structured, and high-quality public content. This process is designed to strengthen their ability to communicate complex and contested historical issues with clarity, rigour, and a strong sense of public responsibility. Organizers: Jean Monnet House, the European Observatory on Memories (EUROM) of the University of Barcelona’s Solidarity Foundation, Istituto di Studi Federalisti Altiero Spinelli, the Young European Federalists (JEF Europe). Co-funded by the European Commission (CERV programme) and the commemoration programme Spain in Freedom. 50 years.
Introductory speech by Mario Leone, director, Spinelli Institute (online)
First of all, I would like to thank the participants in this new edition of the School on European Memories.
I thank the organizers and representatives present: Martí Grau, Head of Service and Curator of the Jean Monnet House; Oriol López, Coordinator of the EUROM; Moritz Hergl, President of JEF Europe; and I also thank Debora Righetti and Natalia Papageorgiou for their great organizational work.
Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend in person because I have received an invitation from the Province of Latina, a member of the Spinelli Institute, to the official presentation of the documentary “Europa, una barca” in Rome today, a journey through rivers, canals, and the sea, featuring interviews with figures from the world of European culture, from Scandinavia to the island of Ventotene, where the Draft Manifesto for a Free and United Europe was written by Altiero Spinelli and Ernesto Rossi.
This school addresses one of the most pressing challenges for European democracies.
There is a growing distortion of history, not only in content but also in narrative. The substance and form of history are therefore being revised to once again bend them to nationalist logic.
This revisionism, which is not at all mythical as nationalists would have us believe, has only one goal: to exploit the past for political, cultural, and even social ends.
The Houjarray School deserves credit for leading us to reexamine the tools available to prevent us from being robbed of our past, and to critically evaluate the recent past, while avoiding the inventions of far-right and illiberal movements. We are European citizens.
We are not a repository of beautiful principles, but we are the substance of our values. Being European citizens means boasting rights, but probably, if we are here today, it is also because we are the most responsible: we must be the promoters of active citizenship as an act not only of defending the path of European integration but of relaunching the message for the near future of the United States of Europe.
We must raise awareness of European values and improve democratic education in schools and universities, transforming them into democratic spaces. These shared values, such as respect for dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, and human rights, are fundamental to a common European identity.
In memory of Ventotene, in memory of the mothers and fathers of European unity, of Jean Monnet and Altiero Spinelli, we are the answer to the manipulation of nationalism.
I thank you and wish all of us, women and men of Europe, success in this School today and in all the upcoming events that the Spinelli Institute will also support.
Thank you so much.
A report by Roberta Annunziata and Francesco Piredda, Spinelli Institute scholarship recipients
On the first day, upon arrival, we delved into the history of the Jean Monnet House and EUROM, the definition of history, the evolution of the perception of historical memory in Europe over time, and the different forms of historical revisionism, from those that fill in missing pieces to those that modify the past to fit a specific narrative.
To break the ice, after dinner, a presentation was held in which participants wrote on post-it notes their fears and expectations in an ever-changing world, where young people are increasingly involved. The initial presentations and the opening speech highlighted the dynamics of the politics of memory.
On the second day, we discussed historical revisionism in different countries (with a particular focus on Italy, Germany, and Spain) and the Holocaust as a key event in European memory. Afterwards, we took a guided tour of the Jean Monnet House and organized podcast listening groups.
Online, Kieran Burns told us about an exhibition on postcolonialism at the House of European History.
Valentina Pisanty spoke about the memory of the Holocaust and the rhetoric of “never again,” also connecting it to the current situation in Palestine.
On the third day, we discussed how the past is often manipulated for ideological and political ends. We explored the difference between history and narratives, and how the “myths” of history (e.g., British invincibility at sea) are often based on more or less overstated individual events (e.g., the British victory over the Spanish Armada).
We visited the Maison Louis Carré, designed by Alvar Alto, completed the podcasts, and gave a final lecture focused on the theme of “trust in witnesses,” which is never impartial (e.g., the testimonies of Spinelli and those of people close to him, such as Ursula Hirschmann).
The school concluded with the graduation ceremony and final farewells.
