“Where were you 25 years ago when the Berlin Wall fell?”

Personally, in 1989 I only existed as a poorly thought out idea in my parents’ heads. However, Professors Lüthi, Szapor, Beck and Anastassiadis were scattered across Central-East Europe at the time, and experienced the end of the Soviet Union not only as academics, but as European citizens and human beings: one of them was actually driving the “wrong” way into Eastern Europe at the time!

Join the History Students’ Association and four McGill historians as they relive their personal histories with the Iron Curtain. Open to the public, this informal discussion will be an exercise in ego-history: essentially, using memory and experience as a primary source. The professors will also seek to understand the power of memory in shaping history, examining how their lived experiences affected their academic trajectories. As all four are now leading experts on their respective enclaves of Europe, the HSA is extremely excited to see how historians lived history.

Coffee, cookies, and possibly some amazing Greek food will be served. Once again, everyone is welcome to the event, so feel free to invite non-McGill students: this is the perfect event to bring your grandma to!