The 11th edition of Memory Days began with an artistic performance based on the novel “Manual Rrëzimi”, presenting an imaginary reconstruction of the events that led to the fall of the statue of the communist dictator in Tirana on 20 February 1991.
The event continued with a roundtable discussion titled “Symbols Fall, Experiences of Transformation”, bringing together experts from different countries of Eastern Europe.
The panel, moderated by the Director of KAS in Bulgaria, Norbert Beckmann Dierkes, presented experiences from former communist countries on how societies confront their past and construct their historical narratives.
- Christoph Links, publisher and publicist, presented the experience of East Germany.
- Áron Máthé, Vice President of the National Memory Committee of Hungary, shared his country’s experience during the transformation process.
- Thomas Kunze, historian and author of the biography of Nicolae Ceaușescu, presented the Romanian perspective in this regard.
- Afrim Krasniqi, researcher of political history, spoke about Albania’s experience in the transition from communism to democracy.
In conclusion, the discussion provided an overview of the differences and similarities among these countries, as well as Albania’s position in the transformation landscape of the former communist bloc.
