The Incompatible Experiences. Differences between the End of War in Western, Central and Eastern Europe and Asia | Panel discussion - Instytut Pileckiego

The Pilecki Institute in Berlin has the pleasure to invite you to another event organized as part of the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

Panel discussion: The Incompatible Experiences. Differences between the End of War in Western, Central and Eastern Europe and Asia

During the meeting, we want to examine the end of the war through the lens of world history, as well as analyze the topic in comparative terms from the perspective of history studies.

The discussion, which will be led by the Director of the Pilecki Institute, Prof. Krzysztof Ruchniewicz, will feature Prof. Raphael Gross, Prof. Tatjana Tönsmeyer and Prof. Stefan Troebst.

When? Friday, 2 May 2025, 6 p.m.
Where? Pilecki-Institut Berlin, Pariser Platz 4a, 10117 Berlin

Please register in advance: https://forms.gle/MncnfAcsduQiFrxm7

 The 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, which falls on 8 May 2025, is an opportunity to reflect on how the end of the conflict is perceived in different parts of Europe and the world, and what were its political, social and psychological consequences both for individuals and entire societies. A polyphony of voices and experiences is evident in the history studies. Historians are directing their attention to various research areas, and the methods and subjects of their research are evolving. The memory of the war and its end is in constant flux. The multiplicity of experiences and perspectives can lead to tensions, but it also opens space for dialogue, which is an indispensable element of reconciliation.

The Second World War was a global conflict, which meant that the experience of its participants varied by region of the world. The six years of the war were a period of numerous alliance changes, the most significant of which was the Soviet Union’s accession to the anti-Hitler coalition in 1941. This alliance – as expected by Churchill and Roosevelt – made it possible to defeat the Axis states: Germany, Italy and Japan. But the question remains: could the victory, achieved at the expense of compromises with the totalitarian USSR, have been a complete victory? What were the differences and similarities between the end of hostilities in various regions, and what were their consequences? Did the global nature of the conflict translate into universal patterns of the postwar order? Can we speak of regional specificity of the end of the war? Did the global nature of changes fit the model of centers and peripheries? Who had the right to be satisfied with the postwar settlements, and who contested the new order most strongly?

Information about the event on the website of the Pilecki Institute in Berlin (click).