Bridging Generations is an-eighteen-month project (October 2014 – March 2016) within the framework of the Europe for Citizens Programme, under Strand 1: European Remembrance. The project seeks to raise awareness of remembrance, common history and values. It also seeks to promote European citizenship by bridging the gap between generations and involving them in an intergenerational and intercultural dialogue. The main focus is on the memories of senior citizens from Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy and Poland who lived during and after WWII. Their stories will be collected in order to appreciate the role of collective memories in achieving mutual understanding and cultural diversity. Using the method of biographical narrative, the impact of WWII on shaping national identities in Europe and the commemoration of the victims of war will be examined and discussed. European citizens can not forget their histories and cultural traditions and as a result, they can not escape from them. Through Bridging Generations project, European citizens are asked to share their stories with the younger generations so that they can learn about the aftermath of war and specifically of WWII through personal experiences and collective memories. Collective memory includes critical aspects of political culture, community traditions, and social identity. It informs our understanding of past events and present relationships, as well as it contributes to our expectations about the future and this is what Bridging Generations aspires to do; build a better future for Europe. By recording and sharing life experiences of senior citizens, a common platform is created which connects the stories of senior citizens from different countries. In this way their messages and experiences are passed on to younger generations who are further removed from the trauma of the war. Young people therefore become aware of the impacts of the totalitarian regimes and of wars. As Maurice Halbwachs, a French sociologist and philosopher said, “Memories are passed through society via verbal exchange, and if the way of recollecting the past is through silence, then this is also transmitted, and becomes a mode of remembrance in itself”. The project involves European citizens from 3 different age groups – young people up to 30 years old (students and professionals) – adults between 30 and 65 years old (film makers, sociologists, project manager, culture managers, historians, artists, art educators, policy makers, researchers, professors) – senior citizens (65+) from Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy and Poland. The project includes 5 meetings: the first meeting took place in November 2014. Representatives of the partner organizations gathered to plan their cooperation within and their contributions to the “Bridging Generations” project. The second meeting was held from 11 to 15 February 2015, on the anniversary of the 1945 Dresden’s bombing and the celebration of 70 years of peace since the end of WWII. From 26 - 29 May 2015, the third international meeting took place in Wroclaw and Olesnica, Poland (video). From 28 to 31 October 2015, the fourth international meeting is going to be held in Thessaloniki, Greece. The main activities of the project will be workshops on biographical narrative, interviews and visits to places of remembrance, including monuments commemorating victims and historical museums. Commemoration events, art exhibitions, performances and discussions on Europe's future and sustainability will be presented during the study-visit in Thessaloniki. The experiences and knowledge gained through the project will be presented in the final event of the project in the form of a conference which will include cultural events such as an intergenerational performance, an art exhibition and a concert from the 13th to the 15th of February 2016 in Dresden, Germany. http://www.bridging-generations.de https://www.facebook.com/bridging.generations.de Jugend- & Kulturprojekt e.V. http://www.jkpev.de http://www.facebook.com/jkpev.de Jugend- & Kulturprojekt e.V. Bautzner Str. 49 01099 Dresden Germany T: +49 351 8104766 F: +49 351 89960544

• published: 11 Mar 2016
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