In your lifetime, how many letters have you written, stamped, and mailed? For some, countless, for others, not a single one. Yet letters, like photographs, diaries and other forms of personal documentation provide an eventual window into the events of the past.
This is one idea the Historical Archives of the European Union (HAEU) transmitted to primary school students adhering to the local journalism project Cronisti in classe (Reporters in the Classroom). The project, organised by the Florentine newspaper La Nazione, teaches students to become informed and careful consumers of information and encourages them to research, develop and write their own news stories for publication in the paper.
For the second year in a row, the Archives provided the project with several story ideas related to archives, memory and European citizenship. In addition to considerations on how personal memories are preserved and transmitted through time, the HAEU has also challenged students to use historical sources and interviews to write an article about a person or event in the past that still has impact today. Another departure point is to investigate how a monument, public ceremony, or artistic work commemorates an important historical event and what values it is meant to transmit.
A second set of themes addresses the idea of Europe and European citizenship, with sharp focus on the ideas of peace, democracy and rights. One topic considers historical documents that inspired Europe’s founders to strive for a peaceful, united Europe. Another prompts an exploration of the rights and protection that Europe guarantees, and how those impact on the daily life of citizens.
“The Archives participated for the first time in 2024, and we were extremely impressed by the students’ enthusiasm for the project. The articles they prepared were all very well done and provided much food for thought” explained Dieter Schlenker, Director of the Historical Archives, who was interviewed for the project earlier this month.
The 2025 project was launched by La Nazione in early February. To get an idea of how the classes develop suggested themes, take a look at this recent story (in Italian), here.
Photo: Dieter Schlenker and Jackie Gordon (HAEU) with a winning class from the 2024 Cronisti in classe journalism project. Photo courtesy of La Nazione, used with permission.