Centre Against Expulsions
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The German Centre Against Expulsions (ger. Zentrum gegen Vertreibungen, ZgV) is a planned documentation centre for expulsions and ethnic cleansing, particularly the Expulsion of Germans after World War II from Eastern Germany and other parts of Eastern Europe following the Soviet occupation, to be erected in Berlin.
- All victims of genocide and expulsion need a place in our hearts and in the historical memory. We want to make it clear that human rights are indivisible. [1] (http://www.z-g-v.de/aktuelles/?id=48)
It was initiated by the Federation of Expellees, and is supported by the CDU/CSU fraction in the German parliament.
The foundation Centre Against Expulsions with seat in Wiesbaden is headed by the CDU politician Erika Steinbach and the SPD politician Peter Glotz.
This initiative, supported by the CDU/CSU fraction in the parliament, has caused controversy. Opponents of the proposed form of Centre object to emphasizing only German suffering; others see it as an inappropriate counter-balance to the Holocaust memorial. In the petition "For a critical and enlightened debate about the past (http://www.bohemistik.de/zentrumgb.html)" historians expressed concerns the centre would establish and popularize a one-sided image of the past, without historical context. Well-known intellectuals and politicians, including Germans Günter Grass and Hans-Dietrich Genscher, in 2003 expressed support for a centre devoted to all expelled during the 20th century, located in some place connected with expulsions, e.g. Wrocław (Breslau). However, Steinbach claims the Centre will represent the suffering of other nations as well. "All victims of genocide and expulsion need a place in our hearts and in the historical memory. Human rights are indivisible," the Centre points out on its official home page. The Centre Against Expulsions have been supported by many human rights activists, historians, political scientists and authors as well as other people. Among them Nobel laureate Imre Kertész, Joachim Gauck, former Austrian crown prince Otto von Habsburg, well known German rabbiner Walter Homolka, Eckart Klein, Guido Knopp, György Konrád, Hans Maier, Christian Tomuschat and Alfred M. de Zayas.
See also
External links
- Official homepage (http://www.z-g-v.de)
- http://www.warsawvoice.pl/view/3182
- http://www.bundestag.de/bic/hib/2002/2002_082/01.html
- http://www.bund-der-vertriebenen.de/infopool/zentrumggvertreibung.php3
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