Exiles, migratory flows and solidarity : unlock the digital treasures

Abstract

Catalogue of an exhibition showing 47 different digital documents from 22 archives from 9 countries to tell micro-stories that shaped Europe. The exhibition covers work-related migration, war-related migration and political uprising, turmoil and persecution. When the Cold War ended in late 1991, many people thought, or at least hoped, that the world would be blessed with a new era of peace and stability. The American political scientist Francis Fukuyama summed this feeling up the following year in his highly influential book, The End of History and the Last Man. He argued that the collapse of the Soviet Union marked the final key victory of the western model of liberal democracy, and that henceforth the world would move towards an eventual state of freedom, progress and growth. He admitted that challenges to this model would still present themselves from time to time, but that inevitably western-style democracy would prevail. Looking back at that time from the vantage point of the early 2020s, it is perhaps hard to be so confident that Fukuyama’s vision will hold true. Indeed, some may argue that the relative stability of the 1990s was a mere temporary blip in world affairs. Today the world situation seems to be characterised with what could be regarded as the same old troubles: financial crisis, ideological confrontation, and war. Alongside this has been a move back towards authoritarianism, nationalism, and economic protectionism. And added to the mix has been the onset of a major pandemic which has had the power to bring the world to a standstill. None of these things are new to history, a fact that serves to suggest that, far from being on a clear linear path towards utopia, the world is instead destined to experience a never-ending series of cyclical historical events. For Europeans, one of the most important examples of such an event has been the recent upsurge in migration, both from within and outside the continent. Some of these migrants are looking to find work. Others are refugees or asylum seekers, anxious to escape from war zones and oppressive regimes. Fierce debates have flared up across Europe over how to best handle the migration crisis, and key questions have emerged. To what extent are people willing to accommodate those who have come to them in hope or in need? How far are societies prepared to go to show solidarity with oppressed and displaced people? How much value is given to the cultural diversity that results from migratory movement across national borders? This exhibition seeks to examine this highly topical issue from a historical perspective. It gathers together 47 key documents in order to present a series of historical stories that illustrate the themes at hand. Through them we will come across terminology which sadly remains all too familiar from recent European and international history; words and phrases such as repression, persecution, political exile, refugee camps, racism, antisemitism, ethnic cleansing, and genocide. As will be seen, many of the documents do indeed highlight acts uncovering the darker side of human nature. But at the same time there are aspects of many of them which allow us to step back into the light. As such, terms such as empathy, tolerance, selflessness, charity, and solidarity also have a place in the stories being told. Several of them also underline the positive contribution that immigrants made to societies in which they settled. The documents are divided into three main categories, or ‘pillars.’ The first considers work-related migration and encompasses stories which collectively address not just the movement of individuals and groups of individuals, but also the transfer of foreign expertise, much of which proved vital to the economic and cultural development of the countries concerned. The second pillar looks at war-related migration. As one might expect, there exists a wealth of documents dealing with this highly emotive topic. For this exhibition a selection has been made covering various types of conflicts, from rebellions and civil wars through to the world wars of the 20th century. The third pillar centres on documents dealing with some of the human costs associated with political uprising, turmoil and persecution. Again, there is a wide range of material, spanning several centuries. And, as is the case with the other two pillars, an emphasis is placed on teasing out the human side to the stories. Indeed, it is through the examination of contemporary source documents that one begins to approach the past at its most elementary level. In a majority of cases the sources relate to individuals or to a group of individuals, at least at some level. The selection also reflects the great variety of material that is available to be consulted in Europe’s archival collections. This includes, among other things, charters, edicts, census records, diaries, letters, diagrams, drawings, photographs, posters, reports, pamphlets, service records, dispatches, supplications, and speeches. By highlighting such original sources, it is hoped that the exhibition will serve to reflect UNESCO’s Universal Declaration on Archives, which states that archival repositories, ‘play an essential role in the development of societies by safeguarding and contributing to individual and community memory.’ The Declaration also emphasises that, ‘open access to archives enriches our knowledge of human society, promotes democracy, protects citizens’ rights and enhances the quality of life.’ The message is clear. Europe’s archives offer a rich heritage of material that is there for everyone to use, whether that be the original physical versions or through universally available digital copies. It is also hoped that those who see the exhibition may take the opportunity to view the present through the prism of the past. Perhaps lessons can finally be learned which would allow us to break free from the historical cycles of intolerance, fear, violence and persecution.