Paměť národa

Paměť národa (English: Memory of Nations) is an extensive collection of life stories in Europe. It has been publicly accessible since 2008 as a database of witnesses' testimonies of 20th-century events and those who survived the two totalitarian regimes: nazism and communism. The stories illustrate how these regimes impacted individual lives, and it reveals their substance.

The collection is administered by the non-profit association Post Bellum, established in 2001 by journalists and historians, aiming to remember the importance of recording personal memories of World War II and communism.

"There is a last generation of people who witnessed totalitarian regimes, such as nazism and communism; we have a last chance to keep it. It should not be forgotten but preserved for the next generations," Mikuláš Kroupa, director of Post Bellum, said. "We have collected more than 13,000 testimonies so far."

Each witness is presented with a short biography and a longer text prepared by the author. The witness' story contains samples from the recording in audio or video clips, transcriptions, personal photos, and other documents.

Paměť národa is accessible to everyone interested in learning about the past and our history.

Post Bellum administers the collection alongside its partner organisations: Czech Radio, a public entity, and the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes. Post Bellum further collaborates with Czech Television and other organisations from Europe, Russia, the US, and elsewhere on the documentation and archiving of oral testimonies.

Post Bellum organises exhibitions, concerts, and educative events and runs the museum. Additionally, the team organises an annual fundraising campaign called The Run for Memory of Nations.

Last updated: January 2023

Last updated date: April 2023