Totalitarianism in Europe: Fascism – Nazism – Communism
During the twentieth century, Europe tragically became the birthplace and territory of the most destructive totalitarian regimes based on radical beliefs, such as Communism, Fascism, and Nazism, which caused the unimaginable extermination or suffering of millions of innocent people.
This exhibition, created thanks to the international cooperation of the members of the European Awareness and Remembrance Platform, public and non-governmental institutions and organizations, including IDMC, working in the field of understanding and accepting the totalitarian heritage in Europe, seeks to increase public awareness and education about the most serious crimes committed by the totalitarian dictatorships of twentieth-century Europe. of the twentieth century and illustrate their historical interconnectedness, with the aim of upholding basic human rights and preventing any form of totalitarian regime in the future.
The exhibition is conceived as an album dedicated to countries which suffer under totalitarian regimes. An imaginary temporary shaft runs through it, where the pages of the book are connected by a stiff thread that determines the duration of the regime.
Each page in the book carries a page of statistics on civilian victims of international crimes committed at the behest of totalitarian regimes – Holocaust and other genocides, war crimes, mass murder, deportation and displacement, ethnic cleansing, shootings and imprisonment for political reasons, slave labor, etc. The nature of totalitarian power structures is indicated, where possible, through the figures of totalitarian party members and security. Also, where there is data, the number of people who could escape from the country is shown. Finally, a summary is presented about the prosecution of the perpetrators after the fall of each regime. The faces of some of the top political leaders and executive officials responsible for international crimes accompany the statistics.
Although we may never know the exact numbers of victims of totalitarianism in Europe, the available data represent some important aspects. First, totalitarian regimes commit virtually the same categories of international crimes. Second, there is a clear historical link between Nazism and Communism and their crimes in Europe.
In today's free and democratic Europe, it is our duty to preserve the memory and legacy of those who fought and resisted totalitarian regimes, those who were killed and wiped out, those who suffered oppression, political persecution and shame under Communism, Fascism and Nazism.
Impressum
This exhibition was made thanks to the international cooperation between the members of the Platform of European Memory and Conscience, public and non-governmental institutions and organizations, among them the IDMC. This project was funded by the European Commission.
Authorship
This exhibition is a joint project. The content of individual panels was contributed by the partners and does not represent the opinions of the partners of other projects. The data reflect the current state of knowledge based on research conducted in represented countries. Often they are not complete because research about the victims of communism have not yet been conducted or are ongoing. In other cases, historical data is missing or difficult to access. Also, due to the different types of methodologies used by different authors, sometimes the victims overlap in several categories.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to all the institutions and persons who helped make this exhibition possible:
Arkivat Shtetërore të Estonisë (EST), Muzeu Kombëtar i Historisë së Letonisë (LET), Muzeu Leton i Luftës (LET), Arkivat Shtetërore Qendrore të Lituanisë (LIT), Muzeu i Viktimave të Gjenocidit (LIT), Arkivi Federal (GJ), Fondacioni Memorial Sakson për Kujtesën e Viktimave të Tiranisë Politike (GJ), Arkivi i Muzeut Shtetëror i Aushvic-Birkenaut në Oświęcim (POL), Arkivi Digjital Kombëtar (POL), Spaarnestad Photo (H), Arkivi Ushtarak Qendror (Ç), Agjencia Çeke e Shtypit (Ç), Arkivi Kombëtar (Ç), Zyra e Dokumentimit dhe Hetimit të Krimeve të Komunizmit (Ç), Arkivi Kombëtar Sllovak (SLK), Muzeu Kombëtar Hungarez (HUN), Agjencia Hungareze e Lajmeve (HUN), Muzeu Kombëtar i Historisë Bashkëkohore (SLV), Instituti Slloven i Historisë Bashkëkohore (SLV), Arkivi Kombëtar Rumun (RU), Muzeu Kombëtar Ushtarak i Rumanisë (RU), AGERPRES (RU), Agjencia Telegrafike Bullgare (BU), Instituti Ukrainas i Kujtesës Kombëtare (UK), Instituti i Studimeve për Krimet dhe Pasojat e Komunizmit (SHQ), Akademia e Studimeve Albanologjike (SHQ).
The partners of this project would like to thank the International Visegrad Foundation and the European Commission for supporting this exhibition.
Copyright
The graphic presentations of this exhibition are copyrighted and cannot be used without the permission of the authors or the IDMC. If you have questions, please contact us: office@idmc.al.
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