Photo Exhibit on Democracy and Dictatorship in 20th Century Europe

[Lori Straus]

Europe in the 20th century: war, dictatorship, ethnic cleansing, peace, democracy, and not necessarily in that order. A rare collection of 190 photos, newspaper clippings, and political cartoons, and 25 audio recordings (accessible via QR code) from various archives in Europe will be on display in Modern Languages from September 15 – 26. They document in no uncertain terms the harsh realities and realized dreams that made their mark on European history.

The exhibition "Dictatorship and Democracy in the Age of Extremes" tells Europe's dramatic story of the 20th century – a past between freedom and tyranny, democracy and dictatorship. Beginning with the outbreak of World War I, the exhibition illustrates the rise of Italian Fascism and Soviet Communism, the world economic crisis and the takeover of the Nazi regime in Germany, leading to the catastrophe of World War II. It continues with the struggle of newly formed democracies after decades of dictatorships, and depicts Europe’s journey from the Cold War to the Peaceful Revolution. In its complexity, the exhibition is a detailed historic localization of Europe as we know it today.

The exhibition was developed by the Institute of Contemporary History in Munich, the Deutschland Radio Kultur and the Federal Foundation for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship. It is presented by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany, the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany Toronto, and The Waterloo Centre for German Studies.

Visitors can view the collection anytime from September 15-19 and September 22-26 between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.

For further questions, please contact the Waterloo Centre for German Studies: www.wcgs.ca<http://www.wcgs.ca> or wcgs at uwaterloo.ca.
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