22nd Seminar of Memorial Sites in Krzyżowa - summary

The 22nd Eastern and Western European Memorials Seminar, which brought together experts, researchers and representatives of memory institutions from across Europe in Krzyżowa from March 19-22, 2025, has concluded. This year's edition focused on the role of images and photographs in shaping historical memory, as well as the challenges posed by the modern digital age and the development of artificial intelligence.

Key reflections and discussions
Images of Violence, the opening panel, which focused on the interpretation of photographs documenting war crimes. As one person noted: “There are many photos that do not show suffering at first glance, but the question of how to interpret them has to be answered.”

Images of the camps - a discussion of the visual documentation of execution sites and its impact on collective memory.

Images of the occupation - a conversation about the photographic record of the occupation experience and its use in the construction of historical narratives. Experts pointed out the dangers of manipulating images, noting that “propaganda only has power when we don't know history.”

Soviet monuments - the topic of the presence and removal of Soviet monuments in public space and their role in historical memory after 1990.

Study visit to Wroclaw - participants had the opportunity to analyze changes in the perception of monuments before and after 1989.

Reconciliation and visual memory - a concluding panel that discussed the importance of reconciliation gestures and their images in public debate.

Challenges for the future
In the face of dynamic geopolitical changes, it was emphasized how crucial it is for memory institutions to document reality: “In view of what is now happening in the world, European museums need to document reality even more strongly.”

We would like to thank all the participants for the inspiring discussions and shared reflections. We hope that this year's meeting will contribute to further international cooperation and a better understanding of the role of images in the construction of collective memory.

The project was subsidized by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage as part of the project “Comprehensive service of the program of commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and commemorating the activities associated with overcoming the consequences of the war in Europe, implemented in Krzyżowa”.