Since 2018 the Munich Documentation Centre prize has been awarded in the Bavarian state capital of Munich. The prize is awarded every two years to outstanding publications, activities, and projects that have made a significant contribution to educating the public about National Socialism, the crimes of the Nazi regime, and the consequences and continuing impact of the Nazi era. This year the prize, worth 8,000 euros, will go to the Ukrainian Center for Studies of Memory Policy and Public History “Mnemonics” in Rivne. It thus honors the remarkable commemorative work of a civil society initiative that, since 2016, has championed public education about the Holocaust in Ukraine and worked to establish a pluralistic, democratic memory culture. The cultural committee arrived at its decision on the recommendation of a jury in a meeting on 22 September.
The Center for Studies of Memory Policy and Public History “Mnemonics” is a financially a and politically independent NGO founded by historians Maksym Gon, Petro Dolhanov, and Nataliia Ivchyk from Rivne. The initiative works to inform and sensitize the public – from academia to society in general – on issues relating to the commemoration of violent history in the twentieth century. Under difficult conditions “Mnemonics” has played a pivotal role in educating the public about Nazi crimes in Ukraine and has held numerous events to encourage a nuanced memory culture that steers clear of political-propagandistic instrumentalization. These projects include artistic installations, school projects about the Holocaust, or the laying of “Stolpersteine.” The prize will lend support to an initiative whose important work is being impacted heavily by the war.
At a private award ceremony held on 15 November 2022, the prize was handed over to Tetiana Vodotyka and Nataliia Ivchyk, who was attending on behalf of the Center for Studies of Memory Policy and Public History “Mnemonics.”