Contemporary History on Trial
Author | : Harriet Jones |
Publisher | : |
Total Pages | : 232 |
Release | : 2007 |
ISBN-10 | : UOM:39015073664743 |
ISBN-13 | : |
Rating | : 4/5 (43 Downloads) |
Book excerpt: Since the end of the Cold War, a series of heated and politicized debates across Europe have questioned the "truth" about painful episodes in the twentieth century. From the Holocaust to Srebrenica, inquiries and fact-finding commissions have become a common device employed by governments to deal with the pressure of public opinion. State sponsored programs of education and research attempt to encourage a common moral understanding of the lessons we learn from these painful memories. Contemporary historians have increasingly been drawn into these efforts since 1989 - in the courtroom, in the media, on commissions, as advisers.