Memory laws symposium

The T.M.C. Asser Instituut launched its first joint online symposium in collaboration with Verfassungsblog on 'Memory Laws'. Dr Uladzislau Belavusau, senior researcher at the Asser Institute and a principal investigator of the 'Memory Laws in European and Competitive Perspective (MELA)' project, organised and coordinated the contributions by expert academics, language-edited by Asser intern Aylin Gayibli.

How we remember the past is subject to legal regulation in many parts of Europe. We prohibit genocide denial and the glorification of totalitarianism, make historical claims in the preambles of constitutions, prescribe how to teach history in school curricula, and more. How is this done, and which problems with fundamental rights and minority protection arise? This symposium explores these questions and their constitutional answers. It provides a theoretical exploration of the discipline as well as real-life examples from various countries of laws governing historical memory, serving as the launching point of debate on legislating history, and the impact of memory laws.

  1. Rule of Law in Poland: Memory Politics and Belarusian Minority - Dr Uladzislau Belavusau
  2. Law and Memory - Aleksandra Gliszczyńska-Grabias
  3. Memory Laws and Security - Anna Wójcik
  4. The Right to the Truth for the Families of Victims of the Katyń Massacre - Dr Grażyna Baranowska
  5. Law and Historical Memory: Theorising the Discipline - Eric Heinze
  6. Memory Laws: Historical Evidence in Support of the “Slippery Slope” Argument - Nikolay Koposov
  7. Decommunization in Times of War: Ukraine’s Militant Democracy Problem - Dr Maria Mälksoo
  8. Memory Politics in Hungary: Political Justice without Rule of Law - Prof. Gábor Halmai
  9. Memory Wars of Commercial Worth – The Legal Status of the Red Star in Hungary -  Marina Bán
  10. The Kundera Case and the Neurotic Collective Memory of Postcommunism - Prof. Jiří Přibáň
  11. Remembering as Pacting between Past, Present and Future - Prof. Tomasz Tadeusz Koncewicz
  12. Memory Politics and Academic Freedom: Some Recent Controversies in Greece - Ioanna Tourkochoriti
  13. Final Thoughts on Mnemonic Constitutionalism - Dr Uladzislau Belavusau