Jan Munk
Terezin Memorial, Czech Republic

The "Holocaust Phenomenon" project has been founded due to Czech President Vaclav Havel's initiative. Having assessed how the society as a whole deals with its own national past, he came to the conclusion there was a need for open, non-ideological examination of some aspects of Czech history of the second world war period. However, it was not just about research into those unexplored places in the Czech history, but also about introduction of scientific findings into the Czech curricula, and stimulation of a public discussion about such matters.

The project itself was seen as a tool, or an organizational base for the streamlining of new research tasks to be undertaken in this direction. The Office of President of the Republic took it upon itself to underwrite these activities and initiated the formation of Coordinating Committee composed of major research institutions' representatives. We assumed it would be possible to obtain funds for research objectives which either could be disbursed to individual teams, or which, as grants, could stimulate realization of new research objectives defined by the Committee. Implementation of a program outlined in this way promised to create conditions that are conducive to the achievement of new research findings, as well as to the accomplishment of necessary publishing plans in a relatively brief time span. It did not happen, but some of the planned research objectives have been taking place with an aid from sources otherwise secured.

In order to coordinate research objectives, a sort of stock-taking was conducted in respect of the current institutions engaged in this field; of research and publishing projects completed to date; and of future research tasks. It must be stated right here that this work focused on major research centers and did not include all teams or individuals at some universities or Czech Academy of Science institutes. For all practical purposes, however, these researchers are always in touch with some of the major centers. The following outline details the research centers included in the Holocaust Phenomenon and the orientation of their respective research programs.

Muzeum romske kultury (Museum of Romany Culture) is an institution which has to resolve problems related to its own founding. Due to remodeling efforts it has no building at the moment, it is in the process of gathering its exhibits, and at the same time it is undertaking an oral history project which is something that cannot be put off because of the old age of personal observers. Despite these restrictions, this institution has accomplished remarkable results in research and publishing, in its efforts to gather historical and ethnographic collections, and in oral history projects featuring former inmates from the concentration camps in Lety, Hodonin u Kunstatu, and Auschwitz. It was a pro-active participant in the building of memorials to victims of the concentration camps in Lety, and Hodonin u Kunstatu. It prepared the contents and organization of an international conference for historians in the city of Pisek in 1995 entitled "Unknown Holocaust".

In the future the institution has to create its own organizational structure, to set up its permanent exhibition, and to develop a regular museum program. These efforts will consume most of its funding and occupy most of its professional capacity and circumscribe the development of its research programs in a major way. Priorities for the future must include educational activity; it is currently taking place and its expansion is a realistic expectation.

Pamatnik Terezin (Theresienstadt / Terezin Memorial) is a museum organization that provides an expert care in respect of the premises proper and of remembrance of the victims of Nazi persecution at the Small Fortress (Mala pevnost) Gestapo prison, the Jewish ghetto, and Litomerice concentration camp. Over the past nine years, Museum of the Ghetto was housed in the former municipal school building, and a permanent exhibition was arranged in the Magdeburg Barracks. Technically and artistically outdated permanent exhibitions at the Small Fortress Museum were replaced; new permanent exhibitions were built about Litomerice concentration camp, about Terezin's history through 1939; in the crematorium at the Jewish cemetery; and about an internment camp for Germans. That is a total of nine new permanent exhibitions. Such activity of course requires major research efforts, whose results include not only studies and monographs but above all permanent exhibits and temporary exhibitions.

Pamatnik Terezin is also an organizer of international scientific conferences dealing with various topics about the Jewish Ghetto, Small Fortress, or Litomerice concentration camp. It participates in setting up a database of former prisoners in the Small Fortress Gestapo prison and Litomerice concentration camp. Recently, various public service efforts (e.g. information about inmates, issuing certificates for different types of compensation) have been taxing. One should not leave out Terezinske listy, an annual publication.

Another significant area of its work is organization of commemorative events. The Memorial's education efforts gain on importance and scope. I would like to get back to them at the end of my presentation.

Institut Terezinske iniciativy (Terezin Initiative Institute; formerly Terezin Initiative Foundation) is an organization founded by the association of former Jewish Ghetto prisoners, whose aim is to lay foundation for basic research and publishing activity in respect of Theresienstadt Jewish Ghetto. Its principal research assignment consists of personal data processing in respect of some 150,000 ghetto inmates and an additional 7 thousand who were deported to Lodz, Minsk or Ujazdow.

The Institute's extensive publishing activity is very important. The first two volumes of Terezinska pametni kniha, evidencing Protectorate Jewish transport records, constitute the Institute's major accomplishment. Volume 3 is currently being printed; it presents data about the Jewish transports from Germany. Another volume dedicated to the transports from Austria is still being worked on. The Institute publishes Terezinske studie (Terezin Studies) and documents in Czech and German, or collections of articles and festschrifts on diverse topics, such as Terezinsky rodinny tabor v Osvetimi Birkenau (Theresienstadt Family Camp in Auschwitz Birkenau), published by Melantrich in 1994, or a collection of papers delivered at the "Terezin as part of the final solution of the Jewish question" international conference, organized by the Memorial and the Terezin Initiative in 1999. The Institute's support of young historians researching the Terezin issue is of consequence for the future.

Jewish Studies Department at the Institute of Modern History is actually the only place which is basic research-oriented. Apart from its own research work, it works successfully with many external university collaborators. It has published a number of important publications, such as "Bibliograficka databaze k dejinam ceskoslovenskych zidu v letech 1938 - 1992", "Osud zidu v Protektoratu Cechy a Morava", "Prominenti v ghettu Terezin" (A. Hyndrakova, H. Krejcova, J. Svobodova - Praha 1996) and "Zide v Protektoratu. Hlaseni Zidovske nabozenske obce v roce 1942" (same authors, 1998). The period preceding the Jewish tragedy as well as post-war times are researched here.

The department also organizes lectures for and participates in the instruction of students enrolled at the Institute of International Studies of Charles University's College of Social Science.

Zidovske muzeum (The Jewish Museum) focuses its activity on research and presentation of the history of Jewish settlement in the Czech lands. Holocaust research and presentation is therefore just one of its broad activities. The museum is currently undergoing fundamental renovations. The synagogues housing permanent exhibitions have been remodeled. The most important reconstruction concerns Pinkas' Synagogue with the names of all Czech Jews who were murdered by the Nazis. This building also houses a permanent exhibition of Theresienstadt Ghetto children's drawings. The synagogue serves as a memorial to the Holocaust victims; an observance of Yom ha Shoa is held there each year, as are additional events. The Museum also takes care of important collections and archives bearing on the genocide of Czech Jews, the ghetto of Theresienstadt included; it is therefore the main partner of Terezin Memorial. It collaborates in preparations of exhibitions and other projects realized at home and abroad. The Museum's exhibition activities are influential as they take place on several continents, which has turned the Museum into an institution of world importance.

Its Holocaust unit is relatively small. Its task is research but it also takes care of archives, provides information and services to the public, in a similar way as Terezin Memorial. It has also co-created currently the only functional database of the Jews who perished during the war (Pinkas' synagogue); it is working on an oral history project featuring former Theresienstadt inmates, which due to its quality is an important source of information; it drafts studies and presentations for various conferences and seminars, participates in preparation of domestic and out-of-state exhibitions. Currently and under the given conditions, the capacities of this institution have been exhausted so that none of its activities can be expanded. The Museum's activity in education of teachers, pupils and students is very important. The Jewish Museum's Educational and Cultural Center is also involved in it, among other things.

Archive Administration of the Czech Ministry of the Interior and State Central Archive in Prague are institutions without which no historical research is possible. They constitute the principal information base for implementation of research objectives; their fault-free functioning is crucial for the majority of researchers from all the aforementioned institutions. A special assignment compiled there was a list of archive materials concerning the Romany issue, especially in respect of the concentration camp in Lety in the vicinity of Pisek.

Unlike the previous institution, this one is a budgetary institution, which in some cases complicates potential international collaboration but mostly the acquisition of additional funds to tackle some tasks. Undoubtedly one of the major contemporary problems is the access to the State Central Archives. This institution's unfinished building in Prague at Chodovec presents us with a problem which our colleagues abroad cannot understand, and so we appear as a country that attempts to make its archives inaccessible.

The unfavorable situation of the state treasury is one of the reasons why some of the tasks originally contemplated for the Holocaust Phenomenon project will not take off, or will be realized at a much later date. It was assumed that arrangement and an inventory of the archives related to the period of the second world war (and shortly afterwards) and to racial persecution during that period would get done. These assignments were to be followed by archive-based research of partial topics, by preservation and restoration of records, putting them on microfiche, or storing in a digital form. Preparation and publication of studies in respect of these sources and inventories was to be included among these efforts. This task will have to be undertaken sooner or later. As these efforts could not be launched, a problem for the entire professional community has been created.

This brief outline cannot cover all Holocaust research efforts in the Czech Republic. There are many researches who either on their own or with someone else conduct their research, keep on publishing or at least contribute to research projects. The time allotted to me at this conference unfortunately restricts the quantity of information I can share with you. A great many details had to be dropped and my assessment will be general at best.

And another thing. The situation in Czech Holocaust historiography is often presented as if it all began only in 1990. The truth is that quite a bit was accomplished under the previous, totalitarian, regime. Many historians did strenuous research whose results could not be published and so they circulated only among the professionals at home. Of course, the lack of contacts with the majority of western researchers was profound, and it takes time to mend it. This affliction in respect of communication is less apparent among the professionals, journalists and lastly the general public. It is quite regular to encounter in our media totally wrong and ludicrous arguments which are based on the lack of knowledge or insufficient knowledge of the basic facts. If I am to express my overall assessment I have to say that not everything which was planned (both in our project and outside of it) has actually been accomplished. Still facing us is the definition of those "unexplored places", problems which, for whatever reason, still remain unsatisfactorily researched. At the same time it is necessary to keep seeking out and finding resources which would make it possible for research teams to concentrate their attention on such problems.

Personally I am convinced that it is necessary and in the interests of the Czech Republic in its further efforts to integrate itself into the world of democracy to join those governments forming so-called Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research. In my efforts to provide you who are attending this conference with information not only about research but also about the other areas as these appear in the Task Force's name, I will add a few words about remembrance and education as practiced at Terezin Memorial.

The main remembrance event is the annual commemoration at Terezin. It is meant to remember all the prisoners held in Nazi concentration camps, prisons and forced-labor workhouses. Traditionally held on third Sunday in May, it commemorates the oath sworn by the liberated prisoners at Buchenwald, who vowed to cherish the memory of their fellow inmates who did not see the day of freedom. It is attended by the leaders of the state, but the attendance on the part of citizens is not to great. It is customary abroad that similar events inspire teachers, that they constitute an impulse to expound on Nazi persecution and Holocaust, and that the ceremony itself is often connected to a nationwide campaign for human rights, civil liberties and the need to defend the dignity of free human life. It will be necessary to deal with the matter and to try to find a suitable solution.

Further to this, an annual Yom ha Shoa ceremony is held in the Crematorium in the Jewish cemetery. During this ceremony, 100 names of people who perished in the Theresienstadt ghetto are read each year. Nine hundred names have been read so far. The ceremony is attended by local school children and this year, for the first time, it was attended also by pupils and students from Prague Jewish Community's elementary school and high school. A similar event is jointly prepared by the Jewish Museum and Prague Jewish Community and held in Pinkas' Synagogue.

The Sunday prior to Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year), there is a Kever avot commemoration held at the Jewish cemetery to remember the commencement of transports of the Czech Jews to Theresienstadt, to Polish and Ukrainian ghettoes and extermination camps. The event is organized by the Federation of Jewish Communities and the Jewish Community of Prague. It is a Jewish matter only and the public is not informed about it.

Lastly, I would like to mention some basic education activities at Terezin Memorial. Education Section was launched in 1993. During this first year only about a dozen seminars were presented, of which 4 for Czech teachers, the rest were groups of foreign students and teachers (approximately 400 individuals). In 1998, there were already 101 groups (some 2,700 individuals). Our staff switched from seminars consisting of a tour of the exhibitions and one or two lectures to a much more sophisticated seminars. They now utilize interactive teaching methods such as assigning topics or questions to the seminar attendees who then search for answers in the exhibitions or the town itself.

This positive shift is, among other things, the outcome of traditional Czech-German seminars for teachers held by Terezin Memorial in cooperation with North Bohemian school boards and the ministry of education, youth and physical education of Brandenburg.

Finally, I should also mention creative art and literary competitions for secondary school students and elementary school children, inspired by their visit to the Memorial. This originally humble event limited to the County of Litomerice has grown to include one-third of Bohemia. As this task becomes increasingly demanding, the entire Education Section exerts itself but the results are remarkable and the management of the Memorial are determined to continue and give a maximum support to the Education Section.

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