ABSTRACT
In December 1991 the Council of Europe organized a symposium on ‘History Teaching in the New Europe’. It was a remarkable occasion. Apart from the Turks and the Yugoslavs who, for different reasons, were unable to attend, all other European states were present. But it was the participation and experiences of the states of East and Central Europe that gave this Conference a special character and importance. Their presence was a triumphant reminder of their escape from their recent pasts. Subsequent events have reminded us that not all were entirely at ease with each other, or always within themselves. But they had all been betrayed by the way they had been taught the past, and were united in their conviction that history had a crucial part to play in safeguarding the future. At the same time their experiences injected a feeling of unease into the complacency of some Western states, not all free themselves from arbitrary political interference.
