Lectures, debates and talks
Through the Lens of…
Several times a year, the museum organises learning events exploring the widely diverse subjects that are inextricably linked to the continent’s history. The event series is entitled “Through the Lens of…”.
Through the Lens of…
- The storytellers
- Eyewitnesses, historians, artists and activists from different domains share their stories and points of view in the series. Together with them, participants in these events can explore and experience different topics on special days, festivals or commemorations. This series offers a variety of learning formats such as guest talks, digital exhibitions and oral testimony recordings.
- Different lenses because...
- Different lenses with different focuses present different views. By fitting a variety of lenses on the camera with which the passage of time is observed, the participants can capture the colourful moments in the flux of European history with fresh perspectives and insights. The aim is to make every participant and attendee a co-curator to enrich the museum’s narrative. Their voices are heard; their opinions respected. Most excitingly, their personal stories are woven into the narrative of the House of European History.
- Taking part in the events
- As part of the museum’s digital offering we are attempting to erase the boundaries between the digital and the physical. All our hybrid events can be accessed both online and onsite. More information will be regularly shared on our social media platforms and individual programme webpages will be created closer to each event date, providing more details on subject matter and participation.
Past editions
May 2024 Through the Lens of People of the Carnation Revolution with Raquel Varela
August 2023 The Nuremberg Trials - Though the Lens of the Filmmakers for the Prosecution
April 2023 Through the Lens of a ‘DDR-Flüchtling’
Sept 2022 L’Holocauste à travers le regard d’un survivant
Nov 2022 The adventures of Tedis the teddy bear - Through the Lens of Hidden Treasures
Jun 2022 Through the lens of proud lovers since 1850
May 2022 Europe through the lens of its young citizens
Feb 2022 Christmas in the trenches - World War One - Through the lens of historians
Envisioning Europe
In light of the Conference on the Future of Europe (initiated by the European Parliament and European Commission in 2019), the House of European History organised an online lecture series entitled ‘Envisioning Europe.’ Since June 2021, we have hosted 13 prominent historians to exchange insights into Europe's past and present. Each lecture includes a moderated Q&A session.
What can the past teach us about our vision for the future?
The idea of an unfinished project of modernity has long animated the European project. In this talk, Professor of Postcolonial and Decolonial Studies, Gurminder Bhambra argues that what is needed instead, is to address the unfinished project of decolonization. Moving away from an understanding of Europe constituted as a cosmopolitan continent of nations, this talk examines the implications of its imperial and colonial past. It sets out the ‘varieties of colonialism’ at the heart of the European project and discusses their significance for Europe’s past, present, and future.
Movie screenings
Since 2019, movie screenings have become a very popular part of our events line-up. The screenings are accompanied by a guided tour and historical contextualisation by a film or history expert, followed by a questions and answers session after the movie.
Special Events
We continuously try out new formats to make history education fun and engaging. Follow us on social media to find out about new events or subscribe to our House of European History newsletter, in the bar below.
Museum Night Fever
The House of European History is one of the museums hosting Museum Night Fever since 2018, where we organise fresh, mind-blowing dialogues between young artistic talents and our museum’s collections. Upcoming artists offer an innovative take on permanent collections and current exhibitions, transforming them into an engaging space for the public.
Temporary exhibitions
Watch out for our special events linked to the temporary exhibitions. We host panel debates, documentary screenings and performances, guided tours, festive openings and more.
