Reckoning with the past from "summary" of Iron Curtain by Anne Applebaum
The process of coming to terms with the past, which involves acknowledging the crimes committed by the regime, understanding how they were committed, and identifying the individuals who were responsible, is a complex and difficult one. In postwar Eastern Europe, this process was further complicated by the fact that the crimes had been committed not by an external enemy, but by fellow citizens, often with the active or passive complicity of others. As a result, reckoning with the past was not just a legal or political process, but a deeply personal one, involving feelings of guilt, shame, and betrayal. In countries like Poland and Hungary, where the communist regimes had been imposed by force, the process of reckoning with the past was more straightforward, at least in the beginning. As soon as the regimes fell, there was an immediate and widespread desire to confront the crimes of the past and hold the perpetrators accountable. This led to the establishment of truth and reconciliation commissions, the opening of secret police files, and the prosecution of former officials for their crimes. In countries like East Germany, where the communist regime had been in power for several decades and had permeated every aspect of society, the process of reckoning with the past was more difficult and contentious. Many East Germans preferred to forget the crimes of the past and focus on building a new future, while others were eager to confront the past and hold the perpetrators accountable. This led to a series of heated debates and conflicts over how to remember and interpret the past, with some arguing that the crimes of the regime should be forgiven and forgotten, while others insisted that they should be remembered and condemned.- The process of reckoning with the past in postwar Eastern Europe was a messy, complicated, and often painful one. It involved a delicate balancing act between the need to confront the crimes of the past and hold the perpetrators accountable, and the desire to move forward and build a new future. Ultimately, the success of this process depended on the willingness of individuals and societies to confront the past, acknowledge their complicity, and seek justice and reconciliation.
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