Post Bellum, z.ú.
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Post Bellum is a non-profit organization established in 2001 that seeks out and records witnesses’ memories and personal experiences of historical events from throughout the 20th century. The organization was founded by a group of journalists and historians from the Czech Republic who kept meeting at press conferences and anniversary commemorations. They believed that witnesses should have the opportunity to tell their stories and that these stories should be accessible to everyone. From this vision, Post Bellum was created.
Post Bellum’s core project is the Memory of Nations, a collection of memories from people who experienced the totalitarian eras of the 20th century as well as photographs, newspapers, and various historical records. The collection is comprised of thousands of witness stories and is accessible to the public through an online database.
Our online collection contains the memories and stories of veterans from World War II, Holocaust survivors, and resistance fighters as well as testimonies from political prisoners, nonconformists, contemporary war veterans, and ethnic minorities. It also includes the experiences of those who were on the repressive side of the totalitarian regimes – State Security, the KGB, and more.
The strategic partners and co-creators of the Memory of Nations are the Institute for the Study of Totalitarian Regimes and Czech Radio.
Besides recording witnesses’ testimonies, Post Bellum strives to get these stories out and into the world for access to broader audiences. The Post Bellum team now contains more than twenty employees and hundreds of external collaborators. Our team works on expanding the Memory of Nations collection, securing finances, and managing everyday operations. We coordinate educational projects for both children and adults along with preparing exhibitions, publishing books, and organizing social events. In addition to this, we have been broadcasting “Stories of the 20th Century” on Czech Radio for more than 10 years.
“We also encourage students to take an interest in modern history and their own roots with the help of experiential workshops and the extensive educational project “Stories of our Neighbors”.
Each year we hold the largest documentary contest in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. We are constantly looking for new ways to enhance public awareness and open up public debate on democratic values. All of these activities are governed by Post Bellum’s Code of Conduct.
