CPI

Suppressed Memories

Suppressed Memories is the Centre for Public History’s permanent public lectures programme on the history of the 1990s. The aim of the programme is to inspire public dialogue on the social processes and events of the recent past which are shaping the present, as well as to reflect on the meanings of remembering and forgetting in the context of the values on which the Serbian society is being built today. Focusing on the history of the 1990s, the guided tours include visits to places of remembrance which testify to the events surrounding the breakup of Yugoslavia, armed conflicts and, especially, the war resistance. The programme is intended for all citizens of Belgrade and Serbia.

During 2019, with the support of the Reconstruction Women's Fund, the CPH team organised 8 public guided tours in and around Belgrade dedicated to the history and memory of the '90s. The historical events covered by these guided tours are: the war resistance in the first half of the 1990s in Belgrade, crimes against the Albanian civilians in Kosovo and mass graves in Batajnica, NATO bombing, monuments in Belgrade that testify to the conflicts of the 1990s, student protests of the 1990s in Belgrade and women's war resistance.

The programme’s principal objective is to bring to the public attention the historical facts and marginalised historical events which are crucial in understanding the social processes of today. The public in Serbia is exposed to the dominant narrative, which, in order to preserve policies based on nationalism, racism and militarisation, does not speak of responsibility, reconciliation and respect for the victims as key mechanisms in building a culture of peace in our societies. For this reason, the CPH team, using the "public history" and "outdoor classroom" methodology is opening a public dialogue on the conflicts of the '90s and the breakup of Yugoslavia and uses public spaces that bear witness to these events as places of remembrance.