Europeana 1989 (2012-2014)
The Archivum and Europeana 1989 Commemorated the 25th Anniversary of the Fall of the Iron Curtain
The Archivum was proud to participate in Europeana 1989, a crowdsourcing project launched by Europeana, Europe’s digital library, archive, and museum, to preserve and publicize personal memories from the fall of the Iron Curtain. In collaboration with Hungary's official Ambassador to the project, László Rajk, The Archivum participated in the launch event at the History Meeting House in Warsaw.
Europeana 1989 aimed to create a vivid and personal picture of the revolutionary events in Europe by inviting the public to contribute photographs, sound and video recordings, leaflets, letters, and other memorabilia. These contributions were made during collection days in various participating countries and through the project website.
Over eighteen months, events commemorated significant 1989 events such as the Baltic Way human chain demonstrations, the Czech Velvet Revolution, Germany's peaceful revolution, and Hungary’s cutting of the Iron Curtain at the Austrian border. The Archivum, the Hungarian project partner, organized these events in Budapest and other locations in 2014.
As the project leader in Hungary, the Archivum conducted collection campaigns in cooperation with SZTE Klebelsberg Library of the University of Szeged and the Museum of Sopron. These campaigns gathered a wealth of digital objects and personal stories about 1989.
Highlights of the Hungarian Collection Campaigns
Szeged (May 23-24, 2014): Over 200 digital objects, including photos, diaries, documents, and personal stories, were collected from 25 donors. The event featured an exhibition on the events of 1989 in Szeged, a documentary screening, and a roundtable discussion with prominent local figures.
Sopron (May 30-31, 2014): Around 155 photographs, five films, 90-100 objects, and 300-320 pages of documents were collected. Notable contributions included barbed wire, a border gate padlock, and personal items related to the Pan-European Picnic.
The final collection campaign took place at the Archivum on September 5-6, 2014 with similar success.
Public Involvement and Collaborations:
The Archivum encouraged everyone to bring personal memorabilia from the time of the fall of the Iron Curtain to the collection days in Budapest for digitization and inclusion in the Europeana 1989 project. This initiative highlighted that 1989 was not just about political changes but also everyday life experiences.
In addition to organizing collection days, the Archivum partnered with Hungarian media outlets Magyar Narancs and Litera.hu to commemorate the era. Magyar Narancs launched a microblog "Felszab" in July, featuring stories and images from The Archivum's 1989 collection. Litera.hu published essays and short stories by contemporary Hungarian writers, inspired by the events of 1989, under the title "Kellett Európa".
Through these efforts, the Archivum and Europeana 1989 aimed to preserve and share the diverse personal memories of the transformative year of 1989, ensuring they are accessible for future generations.
