Holocaust Phenomenon Conference

Prague Castle, Terezin Memorial, October 6. -8., 1999

Program for the Conference
Selected Contributions

The Holocaust Phenomenon Conference is an international event initiated by the Czech President Vaclav Havel and organized under his auspices. It will take place in Prague and Terezin 6-8 October 1999.

The goal of this Conference is a reflection of the Holocaust as a phenomenon of our ending century and the role of Czech society in one of its specific chapters.

Main goals of the Conference:

historical evaluation of the causes and consequences of the Holocaust of the Jewish and Roma communities in Bohemia and Moravia within the international framework;

- communication of those results to Czech society for necessary reflection;

- concentration on the issues of Holocaust remembrance, research, and education;

- formulation of the Holocaust legacy in the context of a wider international community.

Many Western societies are going through a similar process of reflection of their own histories. President Vaclav Havel is fully supportive of the current initiative which aims for an international dialogue about the history of WWII and a mutual attempt to find justice for holocaust survivors.

Quite a few domestic institutions and individual researchers have been involved in studying the Holocaust and its consequences for today's society within the Czech Republic. However, recently this process has been supported by the direct involvement of the Czech government, which has founded a governmental commission and is very active in these matters on the international scene.

The Coordination Committee of the Holocaust Phenomenon Project prepared the Program for the Conference. Among the members of this Committee are representatives of the Terezin Memorial, the Museum of Roma Culture in Brno, the Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic, the Institute for the Contemporary History of the Czech Academy of Science, the Department of Archives at the Interior Ministry, the Central State Archive, and the Office of the President of the Czech Republic. The Terezin Memorial and the Museum of the Roma Culture are the main domestic institutions involved in the organization of the Conference. Among the foreign institutions the important support to organizers is coming from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Yad Vashem Memorial, and the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Museum.

The discussion panel concerning Holocaust research and education has been prepared with the outstanding help from the Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Education. The members of the Task Force are now hosting Czech professionals involved in the area of education, and our continued relationship is expected to deepen in the future. The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and relevant NGOs will be participating on this panel.

The Conference is financed with support from the Czech government and other resources are coming from the Open Society Institute, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Yad Vashem Memorial, the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Museum, and the Foundation V&D Havel VIZE 97. We are expecting additional financial support from other sources as well.

The three day Conference will be inaugurated at Prague Castle and the following two days will take place at Terezin. The program will be divided into morning and afternoon sessions with domestic and foreign speakers, both researchers and politicians, followed by discussions.

Via Perfecta is responsible for the logistics of the Conference, in cooperation with Patriae Foundation, Prague Castle Administration, and the Terezin Memorial.

Prague, July 29, 1999