MCC Brussels Hosts "The War Against the Past: Fighting for our history" Conference

Katalin Deme set the tone for the day with a powerful welcome speech. She framed current cultural conflicts, including debates over decolonization and the toppling of statues, as part of a broader agenda to dismantle the legacy of Western civilization. Deme emphasized that these disputes, while focusing on race and gender, are fundamentally rooted in divergent views on history. She also highlighted MCC Brussels' role in fostering open, critical debate on these issues, and noted the symbolic importance of holding the forum in the Solvay Library, a blend of Belgium’s national traditions and cosmopolitanism.

In his keynote address, Frank Furedi, author of The War Against the Past, discussed the culture wars' focus on rewriting history. He warned that Western history is being de-authorized, with historical figures judged by modern standards of identity politics. Furedi criticized the distortion of historical narratives to fit contemporary agendas, using examples such as the politically motivated warnings now attached to Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. He expressed concern over younger generations becoming disconnected from their heritage, leading to identity crises, and concluded that losing this battle would mean losing the very foundation of Western civilization.

The first panel highlighted the contrasting ways in which Western and Central-Eastern Europe approach their histories. Western Europe often leans toward narratives of guilt, while Central-Eastern Europe, shaped by a legacy of communism, resists these trends. Katalin Deme reflected on her experience under communism, where history was often manipulated. Lawrence Goldman expanded on how modern ideologies are distorting Western history, citing examples like the vilification of Winston Churchill. Áron Máthé emphasized Hungary’s resistance to such revisionism, drawing on the manipulation of history during communist rule. The panelists agreed on the dangers of rewriting national histories, noting that while confronting past wrongs is necessary, the current trend of erasing history risks cultural disconnection, especially for younger generations.

The second panel examined how decolonization movements have shifted from national liberation to attacking Western civilization. Monuments, museums, and cultural legacies are being reinterpreted in the name of justice, but the panel questioned whether this was truly about justice or dismantling the West. Marie Kawthar Daouda argued that decolonization often dismisses Western culture as corrupt, depriving students of valuable knowledge. Rémi Brague warned of the dangers of distorting historical narratives to control both the past and future. Balázs Orbán and Robert Tombs both critiqued the movement as driven by institutional self-interest, sacrificing truth for inclusivity. Panelists discussed the psychological impact of this trend, fostering guilt in Western societies while promoting nationalism elsewhere. They advocated for a balanced education that acknowledges both the achievements and failures of Western history.

The final panel addressed the shift in education from instilling pride in heritage to instilling guilt. Speakers discussed how history education is increasingly moralized, with national narratives replaced by globalized, often self-critical interpretations. Göran Adamson described how today’s education distances students from their cultural roots, while Jorge Álvarez Palomino highlighted Spain’s struggle with the "Black Legend." Ferenc Laczó and Miroslav Vanek emphasized the need for a balanced approach to history education, warning against the dangers of replacing national histories with ideological narratives.

The event concluded with a lively Q&A and closing remarks from Frank Furedi. He reiterated the importance of taking history seriously in the ongoing culture wars over education, calling for new intellectual institutions to defend balanced and rigorous history teaching across Europe.