Скачать или смотреть Confronting the Truth: Pursuit of Historical Justice in the Baltic States and Beyond

The Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies hosted an online roundtable discussion on “Confronting the Truth: Pursuit of Historical Justice in the Baltic States and Beyond” on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, from 12:00-1:00 pm EST.

After the breakup of the Soviet Union, the Baltic states have focused on pursuing historical justice related to Soviet crimes, which included widespread repressions and mass deportations. Under the influence of international actors, the Baltic states have also engaged in political processes associated with Holocaust justice such as the Terezin Declaration. While the Terezin Declaration emphasizes the importance of economic restitution, many Holocaust survivors and their families understand justice in terms of the “right to truth,” in which restitution is interconnected with the restoration of personal dignity, recognition, memorialization, education, and inclusion into society. What would the “right to truth” entail in the Baltic states, and is there political will to pursue it? How can Baltic societies pursue historical justice both in relation to the Holocaust and Soviet crimes? How has the Russo-Ukrainian war affected attempts to pursue historical justice in the Baltic states and the broader region?

These and other questions were tackled by Neringa Klumbytė (Miami University), Dovilė Budrytė (Georgia Gwinnett College/Vytautas Magnus University), Matthew Kott (University of Uppsala), and Daria Cherkaska (University of Huddersfield). The webinar was moderated by Fabio Belafatti (Vilnius University/University of Groningen) and welcome remarks were delivered by AABS President Jörg Hackmann (University of Szczecin).