Remembering the Future

The Nazi rule comes to an end, and nationalist sentiments in Brno lead to the expulsion of around 30,000 people. As early as May 1945, approximately 24,000 German-speaking residents are forced out of Brno towards the Austrian border, an event that becomes known as the Brno Death March. Twenty-five years ago, the first initiatives in Brno emerged to commemorate these events and call for an official apology from the city. In 2015, the City of Brno expressed its regret, and since then, the Reconciliation March, held as part of the Meeting Brno festival, has become an integral part of the city’s identity and memory. During this discussion, we will present the latest findings on May 1945 and speak with key figures about how the remembrance of these events has evolved.

Participants:
Tomáš Dvořák (Historian, Masaryk University)
Niklas Perzi (Historian, editor of the Czech-Austrian book Neighbors: Czech-Austrian History)
Přemysl Janýr (Publicist, initiator of the Forum for Czech-Austrian Dialogue)
Ondřej Liška (Founder of the Youth for Intercultural Understanding association and co-author of the appeal to the City of Brno)
David Macek (Co-founder of the Meeting Brno festival)

The evening will be moderated by Niklas Perzi.

The program will be held in Czech only.