Born in 1989

When our partners are organizing educational workshops, we’re going back to memories from Germany and our Intergenerational Talk ⏳

Our German partner The Remembrance Forum (RBF) organized an Intergenerational Talk in Tübingen on April 20, 2026 🇩🇪

The event brought together different generations to reflect on the transformations of 1989 and their lasting impact on today’s Europe. Through dialogue, personal memories, and open discussion, participants explored how historical change continues to shape contemporary civic perspectives 💬

On May 14, 2026, our Romanian partner Academia Română Filiala Cluj-Napoca held the workshop “Transnational Perspectives on the Democratic Transitions of 1989. Romanian case” in Cluj-Napoca as part of the project “Born in 1989 – Democracy Tales for Young Europeans”.

The workshop brought together researchers, teachers, pupils and students to discuss the history of communism in Romania, democratic transitions in Central and Eastern Europe, and transnational approaches to history education.

The programme included presentations by experts from IICCMER and the “George Barițiu” Institute of History of the Romanian Academy, as well as discussions on educational resources and teaching materials related to the history of communism and democratic change.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the workshop and contributed to the inspiring discussions and collaborative exchange of ideas.

CO-DESIGN WORKSHOP – Transnational Perspective on the Democratic Transitions of 1989📚

On May 14, 2026, the CO-DESIGN WORKSHOP dedicated to the democratic transitions of 1989 took place at Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University. The event was organized by the European Institute Foundation as part of our project.

The event brought together high school students, university students, teachers and future educators who worked collaboratively on educational materials focused on the democratic transformations of 1989 from a transnational and European perspective.

The programme included an introductory lecture by Prof. Piotr Trojański entitled “Does Europe Have One History? A Transnational Perspective in History Education after the 1989 Breakthrough”, followed by group workshops and presentations of participants’ work.

Workshop coordination, moderation and content development: Paweł Sękowski, PhD.

Our Romanian partner Academia Română Filiala Cluj-Napoca
is organizing and inviting participants to the workshop “Transnational Perspectives on the Democratic Transitions of 1989. Romanian case”, taking place on 14 May 2026 in Cluj-Napoca as part of the our project “Born in 1989 – Democracy Tales for Young Europeans”.

The workshop will bring together researchers, teachers, pupils and students to reflect on the history of communism in Romania and the democratic transformations of 1989 from a broader transnational perspective. Participants will discuss educational approaches to teaching the history of communism, historical memory and democratic change in Central and Eastern Europe.

The programme will include contributions from:
• Luciana Jinga (IICCMER, online participation)
• Manuela Marin
• Corneliu Pintilescu

The meeting will also feature presentations of educational materials and teaching resources developed both by IICCMER and within the our project.

📍 Romanian Academy Cluj-Napoca Branch, 9 Republicii Street, attic conference hall
🕑 14 May 2026, 2:00 p.m.

Throwback to our event in Berlin 📸

On February 26th 2026, our German partner The Remembrance Forum (RBF) held a Photo Exhibition and Intergenerational Talk at the Emanuel Lasker Schule in Berlin 🇩🇪

The event brought students closer to the transformations of 1989 through personal stories, discussion, and visual materials. By connecting testimonies from Poland and former East Germany, participants explored everyday life under limited political freedoms, as well as the role of civic courage, peaceful protest, and democratic change.

Through open dialogue, students asked questions, reflected on freedom and responsibility, and engaged with the meaning of historical events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall. The discussion was followed by a guided photo exhibition, where participants worked with archival images to better understand the emotions and experiences behind 1989 📸

This intergenerational exchange created space for reflection, empathy, and critical thinking — showing how the past continues to shape our present.

Throwback to an inspiring afternoon of dialogue across generations ✨

On January 21, 2026, we gathered at the Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow University for an Intergenerational Talk accompanied by the opening of a photo exhibition dedicated to 1989 📸

The conversation brought together remarkable guests:
– Grażyna Staniszewska — democratic opposition activist, Solidarity member, Round Table participant, and former MP, Senator, and MEP
– Bogdan Lis — leading Solidarity activist, underground organizer during martial law, Round Table participant, former MP and Senator
– Manuela Marin, PhD — historian from the Romanian Academy, specializing in communist regimes, memory, and everyday life under communism

The meeting was moderated by Paweł Sękowski, PhD from the Institute of History of the Jagiellonian University.

Together, we reflected on the experiences of 1989, sharing memories, perspectives, and questions that continue to resonate today.

Thank you to everyone who joined us! We’re currently working on new workshops — stay tuned, we’ll be back with more very soon.

Throwback to last month in Slovakia 📸

Our Slovak partner CEDIN (Center for Education and Innovation) organized the Photo Exhibition and Intergenerational Talks — an inspiring events that brought history and dialogue together 🇸🇰

Held in Trebišov on March 25 and in Sečovce on March 31, 2026, the events created space for exchange between generations. Witnesses of 1989 shared their experiences, while young people engaged through questions and discussion 💬

The program was accompanied by exhibitions combining international perspectives with local stories 📸

Throughout autumn and winter, our partners created several great events ✨

We’ll be revisiting some of them over the coming weeks, as they marked the beginning of further collaboration.

One of those was event on October 16th in Hungary 🇭🇺 an intergenerational talk where witnesses of history shared their perspectives on social transformations, while young people had the opportunity to ask questions 💬
The discussion was accompanied by a photographic exhibition documenting those transformations 📸

Pillar Alapítvány