The recent meeting of the international team of the Recall Project, held in Budapest, was highly successful, featuring productive discussions among professors, experts, coordinators, and student teams from Hungary, Czech Republic, and Poland. Over several engaging days, participants clarified essential aspects of the project’s future deliverables and set a clear roadmap for the upcoming months.
Our Recall Project team, comprising dedicated university students, PhD researchers, and professors, recently spent four wonderful and productive days together in Budapest. Our shared activities included an insightful sightseeing tour in the historic Buda Castle, intensive collaborative work at the university on Friday, and a meaningful exploration of the renowned Fiumei Road National Cemetery followed by focused project sessions on Saturday. Altogether, we invested more than 15 hours of hands-on teamwork, fostering the project’s continued success.
1. Professors’ Section – Memory Narratives and Video Productions
One of the central achievements of our Budapest meeting was the clarification of expectations concerning video scripts and presentations developed by project coordinators and experts. Importantly, the team emphasized the necessity of focusing explicitly on memory politics, public memory, and places of remembrance, rather than general political or public history narratives.
Each national coordinator will now play a pivotal role by developing a 20-minute common Central European narrative, providing a regional perspective, context, and cohesion to the project. They are also tasked with clearly instructing national experts who will deliver concise, five-minute presentations on their respective national memory facts. Materials developed by Prof. Jiří Němec and Denisa Janišová have been circulated as exemplary models.
Moreover, a common visual presentation template was selected, though minor color adjustments remain. The final template will be distributed soon by Ákos and Péter, with the intent that selected presentation slides become integral parts of the final project films.
To enhance the quality and visual engagement of the films, each script should incorporate 3–4 carefully selected, copyright-compliant visuals.
To ensure concise yet impactful video presentations, coordinators and experts are especially encouraged to emphasize contemporary reflections when covering topics involving two significant historical figures per nation. The timeline for script preparation and filming was also confirmed, with production scheduled in Budapest (April 7–8), Wroclaw (April 15–16), and Brno (May 5–6), leading to the completion of raw videos by May 23.
2. Catalogue and Interactive Map – Refinements and Proofreading
The second major outcome was related to improvements of our online catalogue and interactive map, crucial digital products of our Recall Project. Feedback and suggestions provided by the teams were greatly appreciated and are currently being integrated.
Each national team has until April 29 to complete their contributions, including carefully selected „Further Reading” references (max. 3 items per figure or topic) and meaningful, contextual image descriptions. Professors from all partner institutions will standardize geographical and personal naming conventions, primarily using English, with other forms provided in parentheses.
Additionally, Topic 11 was formally renamed „Transfer of Knowledge”, with Hungary introducing two new figures: the distinguished intellectual István Bibó and prominent writer Sándor Márai. The Polish team will also integrate these important figures into their narratives.
The methodological framework guiding the project was also clarified: Dr. Jiří Němec, Prof. Jakub Tyszkiewicz, and Prof. Daniel Bagi will develop a concise methodological introduction, clearly articulating our project’s reliance on Pierre Nora’s concept rather than Jan Assmann’s. To streamline user experience, explanatory descriptions of the map and catalogue’s data structure will become available through collapsible sections on the website.
3. E-Learning and Educational Tasks – Students’ Section
Another vital segment of our Budapest discussions was the finalization of plans for educational content development. Student representatives from Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic agreed on creating 15 interactive e-learning modules hosted on the SpaceWize.io platform. These modules will align with the project’s videos, emphasizing visual primary sources accompanied by interactive questions and open-ended reflection opportunities.
Further, traditional PDF-based tests will also be developed, structured around four core thematic categories (currently under revision). Each category will contain 24 questions, evenly distributed among national (Hungarian, Czech, Polish) and shared Central European perspectives. National teams will cross-check each other’s content to guarantee clarity, accuracy, and pedagogical value. All e-learning content is scheduled for finalization by mid-June 2025, after revisions conducted during our upcoming meeting in Brno.
Upcoming Recall Project Meetings
Future face-to-face meetings and workshops have been finalized as follows:
- Brno (CZ): May 29 – June 1, 2025
- Veszprém (HU): September 24–27, 2025 – Final Conference
Titled: „Bolesław the Brave and the Birth of Central Europe”
Co-organized by the Archdiocese of Veszprém and the Szent Adalbert Foundation, this event will offer country-specific presentations and a dissemination roundtable. Accommodation, travel, and meals will be provided by the host. - Wroclaw (PL): December 2–5, 2025
Additionally, three open webinars will be hosted online between September and November 2025, each accommodating up to 50 participants, offering previews of the key findings ahead of the final conference.
We sincerely appreciate everyone’s active contributions and commitment throughout the Recall Project meeting in Budapest. Your insights, energy, and collaborative spirit have laid a solid foundation for our next phases. As we move forward, we encourage you to keep sharing your ideas and creativity to make our project truly impactful.
We look forward with excitement to our next meetings and webinars, knowing that together we can achieve outstanding results in bringing Central European memories closer to new generations.
Stay inspired, and let’s continue this exciting journey together!
