On 17 October 2024, Monika Baar, Robert Schuman Centre and EUI History Professor, was invited by the European Disability Forum (EDF) to give a presentation on disability histories in Central and Eastern Europe.
The EDF is an NGO based in Brussels that brings together representative organisations of persons with disabilities from across Europe. Run by persons with disabilities and their families, it represents the interests of over 100 million people with disabilities across Europe. While the EDF seeks to represent a united voice, it also acknowledges the diverse needs, circumstances, and historical contexts within different regions.
Professor Baar’s talk focused on the legacy of state socialism in the contemporary world. She explored the pioneering work of disability activists in Central and Eastern Europe, shedding light on the challenges and achievements of this community—difficult to understand without addressing the historical context. The presentation also highlighted innovations that emerged from the region during the Cold War, an aspect largely overlooked in both academic and policy discussions.
In addition, on 30 October 2024, Professor Baar contributed to an event organised by the European Observatory on Memories (EUROM). EUROM is a transnational network of institutions dedicated to the study and promotion of public memory policies. It aims to “reflect on Europe’s recent history of the struggle for democracy and freedom, advocating for a plurality of memories and contributing to a more inclusive society.”
Her talk was part of the seventh edition of EUROM’s annual event, ‘Taking stock on European memory policies’, held in partnership with the European Parliament’s Maison Jean Monnet. The event, which brought together 40 participants at the European Parliament’s Info Hub in Brussels, focused on the histories and experiences of the LGBTIQ+ community, the Sinti and Roma people, and persons with disabilities.
On this occasion, Professor Baar discussed the extreme heterogeneity of the disability community, the comparatively weak nature of political lobbying, and the perceived lack of agency—issues that contribute to the neglect of persons with disabilities in memory politics. Another challenge is that lived experiences are rarely addressed, as processes of memorisation often follow a binary framework of heroic figures versus tragic victims. Baar emphasised the need for a more intersectional approach to studying this group and stressed the necessity of preserving and archiving materials related to this community.
The 2024 Summary EUROM report, which offers a deeper look at these critical discussions, is available here.
On the 2023 International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Giuseppe Zago, the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusiveness Officer at the EUI, interviewed Professor Monika Baar on the EDI podcast The Elephant in the Room. Access the episode on history of disability here.
Photo by courtesy of Laurent Brandajs, EU Observatory on Memories (EUROM) Flickr account.