How important are historians in achieving historical reconciliation? [THREAD] #History #historian #politics

1. Reparations agreements are a prominent and relevant example of historians being at the forefront of historical reconciliation. As they often involve monetary gains for one party from the other over memory and victimization.

2. Historians are at the forefront of presenting the state with so-called historical 'ammo' to legitimize the request of reparations. This could however be seen as a source of increased tensions, and could lead to an increase of nationalism and hatred due to negative memories.

3. However, a more definitively positive aspect of historical conciliation can also increasingly be seen due to evidence newly uncovered by historians.

4. For instance, as a result of the publishing of Jan Gross’s Neighbors in 2001, Polish president Kwasniewski issued an apology for the murder of 1,600 Jews who were killed by
their neighbors 60 years earlier in Jedwabne.