Au Collège d’Europe à Natolin, la Chaire de Civilisation Européenne soutient un programme varié d’événements au-delà de la salle de classe, visant à explorer les significations et les impacts de l’histoire. À travers des débats publics, des initiatives étudiantes, des discussions, des visites guidées, des projections de films, et bien plus encore, la Chaire invite la communauté de Natolin à participer à la réflexion sur la signification durable du passé complexe de l’Europe.

Ces événements s’inscrivent dans la mission plus large de la Chaire, qui consiste à promouvoir la réflexion historique comme ressource essentielle pour la compréhension civique et la responsabilité publique. Certaines activités se concentrent sur les moments de rupture et de transformation du XXᵉ siècle européen — tels que la guerre froide, la Shoah, les révolutions de 1989, ou encore la guerre actuelle en Ukraine. D’autres événements se tournent vers des héritages historiques plus profonds, notamment la dynamique du pluralisme politique et religieux dans la République des Deux Nations (Pologne-Lituanie), les héritages de la pensée des Lumières, ou les conflits frontaliers qui ont marqué l’Europe au fil des siècles. Dans leur ensemble, ces activités offrent aux étudiants l’occasion de s’interroger sur la manière dont l’Europe a été imaginée, gouvernée, contestée et commémorée — et de le faire en dialogue avec des témoins, des décideurs, des chercheurs et leurs pairs.

Les événements récents ont compris des débats de haut niveau sur la guerre et la solidarité dans la politique internationale ; des visites commémoratives et des rencontres avec des survivants d’Auschwitz et du ghetto de Varsovie ; des ateliers sur la mémoire publique ; ainsi que des discussions « Rencontre avec l’auteur » avec des historiens et penseurs publics de renom. Des visites d’étude à Varsovie et à travers la Pologne ancrent ces échanges dans leur contexte, tandis que des projections de films, des soirées musicales et des collaborations interdisciplinaires contribuent à nourrir une culture d’engagement partagé au-delà des frontières disciplinaires.

Une initiative majeure récente, le projet Three Ukrainian Revolutions (3R), a réuni étudiants, chercheurs et experts internationaux pour réfléchir aux mouvements de protestation de 1990, 2004–2005 et 2013–2014. S’appuyant sur des témoignages oraux et des analyses comparatives, le projet retrace les implications démocratiques et géopolitiques de l’histoire révolutionnaire moderne de l’Ukraine. Depuis le déclenchement de l’invasion russe en 2022, le projet 3R poursuit son exploration des intersections entre protestation politique, mémoire et guerre. En savoir plus sur le projet 3R ici : www.3rnatolin.eu

À travers ces engagements actifs au sein de la communauté, la Chaire cherche à créer un espace de curiosité et de réflexion approfondie où les étudiants de toutes disciplines peuvent enrichir leur compréhension des histoires européennes et mondiales, affiner leurs capacités d’analyse et participer à la vie intellectuelle et civique du Collège.

Les événements récents comprennent:

Projet Trois Révolutions en Ukraine (3R)

• Meet the Authors: Presentation of the 4th Volume of the 3R Project "The End of the Soviet World? Essays on Post-Communist Political and Social Change" by Prof. Richard BUTTERWICK-PAWLIKOWSKI and Prof. Georges MINK (21/02/2025)
• International Symposium: "Ten Years of Russia's War against Ukraine. The Long End of the Post-Soviet Era" (26/3/2024)
• International Symposium: "Five years after the Maidan: post-revolution evolution" (16-17/9/2019)
• International Symposium: "3R: Revolution, War and their Consequences" (16-17/3/2018)
• Debate: "Between Russian Empires. One hundred years on" (15/3/2018)
• International Symposium: "Three Revolutions – Portraits of Ukraine" (28/2-1/3/2017)
• International Conference: "The Fate of Freedom in Eastern Europe: Autocracy – Oligarchy – Anarchy?" (22-23/9/2016)
• International Conference: "Revolutions, maidans and protests in contemporary Ukraine. The current state of research and future directions" (20/6/2016)
• Seminar: "The Oral History of Ukrainian Revolutions" (19/2/2016)
• Seminar: "Oral history as a source for researching political breakthroughs in the context of Ukrainian revolutionary movements 1990-2014" (Décembre 2015)
   

Événements récents

• "Meet the Author" event with Prof. Michel MANGENOT: "Jacques Delors: les paradoxes d’un homme d’État européen" (08/05/2025)
• European Civilization Chair Debate on "The Price of Freedom in Changing International Politics" with Prof. Andrii PORTNOV and Prof. Stefan AUER (24/04/2025)
• Special Lecture on "The Culture of Remembrance in an Unpredictable World" by Dr Piotr M.A. CYWIŃSKI, Director of the Museum and Memorial Auschwitz-Birkenau (15/04/2025)
• Special Meeting with Ms Krystyna BUDNICKA (Hena KUCZER), a Warsaw Ghetto Survivor (26/03/2025)
• Workshop on “The Age of Transitional Justice: Between Global Norms and Local Practices” with Dr Karolina KOZIURA (10/03/2025)
• European Civilisation Chair Debate: "Peace and War: Solidarity in International Politics" (10/01/2025)
• The Auschwitz-Birkenau Educational Project at Natolin: Study Visit to the Museum and Memorial (01/12/2023)
• High-level Lecture by Dr Piotr M.A. CYWIŃSKI, Director of the Museum and Memorial Auschwitz-Birkenau (27/10/2023)
• Visit of Mr Marian TURSKI, one of the last living survivors of Auschwitz-Birkenau (19/10/2023)

Événements passés

2015-2023

• Meeting with Ms Krystyna BUDNICKA, Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Survivor, on the occasion of commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Uprising (15/04/2023)
• Screening of 'Cold War' film and Discussion with Professors Georges MINK and Marek CICHOCKI (05/03/2023)
• Conference: "Searching for a New Form of Solidarity" (24/02/2023)
• "Legacy of the Cold War" - Second Debate Organised by the European Civilisation Chair with Prof. Jussi HANHIMAKI and Prof. Glenda SLUGA (25/01/2023)
• "Legacy of the Cold War" - First Debate by the European Civilisation Chair with Prof. Hans KUNDNANI and Mr Michał BARANOWSKI
• "Legacy of the Cold War" - Workshop by the European Civilisation Chair with Prof. Marek CICHOCKI and Dr Paweł UKIELSKI (10/11/2023)
• High-level discussion with Dr Piotr M.A. CYWIŃSKI, Director of the Museum and Memorial Auschwitz-Birkenau (21/11/2022)
• Screening of “Mr. Jones” and special meeting with its authors (Ms Agnieszka HOLLAND), the Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland Mr Vasyl ZVARYCH, and relatives of Gareth Jones (22/10/2023)
• Meeting and discussion with Mr Marian TURSKI, one of the few living survivors of Auschwitz-Birkenau (13/10/2022)
• Rencontre avec le Professeur Krzysztof POMIAN - auteur de la trilogie « Le musée, une histoire mondiale » (27/04/2022)
• « Meet the Authors » : Prof. Chantal DELSOL et son nouveau livre sur l'Europe centrale et orientale depuis 1945 (28/2/2022)
• Screening of the film "Mr. Jones" and debate with the director of the film Agnieszka HOLLAND and Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Andrii DESHCHYTSIA (21/11/2021)
• Special meeting with Mr Marian TURSKI, one of the few living survivors of Auschwitz-Birkenau (15/10/2021)
• Workshops in cooperation with the European University Institute by Max Weber Fellows (06-07/04/2021)
• Screening of "Denial" and discussion with Dr Piotr CYWIŃSKI, Director of the Museum and Memorial Auschwitz-Birkenau (14/2/2021)
• High-level discussion with Prof. Dariusz STOLA, Polish Academy of Sciences, on the movie "Sophie's Choice" (18/11/2020)
• Seminar "Nouveau regard sur l'épopée de Solidarność" by Professor Anna SZCZEPAŃSKA and screening of her film (15/11/2020)
• Online "Meet the Authors" meeting with Mr Roger MOORHOUSE, co-organized with the Natolin Library (22/4/2020)
• Online Workshop led by Dr Julie DESCHEPPER: "Heritage(s) of Socialism in Europe: Current Debates and New Approaches", co-organized with the EUI Max Weber Programme (15/4/2020)
• Online Workshop led by Dr Anca CRETU: "Humanitarianism in Historical Perspective", co-organized with the EUI Max Weber Programme (8/4/2020)

2011-2019

• Special meeting with Mr Marian TURSKI, one of the few living survivors of Auschwitz-Birkenau (20/11/2019)
• Presentation by Ivan Vyhovski Prize laureate Dr Liubomyr KHAKHULA: "Two Ukrainian Historical Memories about World War II: Kyiv and Lviv" (23/10/2019)
• High-level lecture by Professor Mary DALY on "Women and the Irish Revolution: Feminism and Nationalism" (9/10/2019)
• High-level lecture by Professor Alvin JACKSON: "War and the disintegration of union and empire, 1914-21: The United Kingdom in comparative context (23/4/2019)
• Workshop on European History: "Back to the future — from Europe’s rise back to China’s centrality?" by Dr Igor ROGELJA (1/3/2019)
• High-level lecture on "The Fall of the Habsburg Empire" by Professor Martyn RADY (23/10/18)
• Debate "Polish Independence Regained: One Hundred Years On" (22/10/2018)
• High-level lecture by Professor Aleks SZCZERBIAK: "Will there be Eurosceptic Backlash in Eastern Europe?" (12/10/2018)

• Award Ceremony of the Bronisław Geremek Prize (22/5/2018)

• International Conference "Rousseau, Poland and Europe: Federalism – Sovereignty – Prosperity – Patriotism" (1-3/2/2018)

• High-level lecture by Professor Simon DIXON: "The Failure of Counter-Revolution in Russia" (25/1/2018)

• Public Debate: "Identities and Values between the EU and its Neighbours" at the Royal Łazienki Park in Warsaw (23/10/2017)

• Award Ceremony of the Bronisław Geremek Prize (16/5/2017)

• High-level seminar with former President of the European Parliament Pat COX (27/2/2017)

• High-level lecture on "European journalism today and tomorrow" by Mr Edward LUCAS (27/1/2017)
• Book launch of "Brothers or Enemies" by Dr Johannes REMY (15/12/2016)
• Public Debate on "Security for Europe in a Time of Crisis" at the Royal Łazienki Palace in Warsaw (18/11/2016)
• Meeting with Professor Antony POLONSKY on Polish-Jewish relations and the POLIN Museum (27/9/2016)
• International Conference: "The Fate of Freedom in Eastern Europe: Autocracy – Oligarchy – Anarchy?" (22-23/9/2016)
• Symposium "Discovering William Shakespeare and His World" (30/5/2016)
• Award Ceremony of the Bronisław Geremek Prize (8/12/2015)
• Conference "Romania and its Minorities" organized by the European Civilization Chair (19/11/2015)
• Debate: "What does it mean to be European?" organized by the European Civilization Chair and the Geremek Foundation (4/11/2015)
• Special Lecture by Prof. Richard BUTTERWICK-PAWLIKOWSKI: "Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s advice to the Poles: Euroscepticism avant la lettre?" (13/10/2015)
• Opening of the new year of the Natolin Historical Society (8/9/2015)
• International conference "Breaking Empires, Making Nations? The First World War and the Reforging of Europe" (7-8/4/2015)
• Mr Edward LUCAS: "Russia and the Baltic" (5/3/2015)
• Prof. Jan ZIELONKA: "The End of the European Dream: from Athens to Kiev" (24/2/2015)
• Ms Anne APPLEBAUM: "True Believers: The Nature of Opposition and Collaboration under Communism" (28/1/2015)
• Natolin Best Master's Thesis Meeting: "Jürgen Habermas and Andrew Moravcsik: a dialogue on European integration, the nation-state, democracy and identity" (28/11/2014)
• Geremek Conference: "The 1989 Romanian Revolution in European Context"(26/11/2014)
• Dr Halik KOCHANSKI: "Poland's Place in the Grand Alliance during the Second World War" (24/2/2014)
• Prof. Margaret MACMILLAN: "How Wars Start: the Outbreak of World War One" (1/10/2013)
• Prof. Yaroslav HRYTSAK: "A Report from the Eastern Front: Ukraine as a Conundrum for Europe" (19/9/2012)
• Prof. Raymond PLANT: "The Financial Crisis and the Character of the European State" (27/4/2012)
• Dr Marc PLATTNER: "Europe’s Democratic Odyssey" (26/4/2012)
• Prof. Bronisław MISZTAL: "Intellectual and Moral Validity of the Political Thought of Bronisław Geremek" (21/3/2012)
• Prof. Norman DAVIES: "The Study and Teaching of History in Europe" (21/11/2011)
• Mr Adam ZAMOYSKI: "Is the European Idea Polish? Nationalism and Supranationalism in Polish Political Thought" (17/10/2011)
• Inaugural lecture by Chairholder Prof. João Carlos ESPADA: "Europe in the XXth Century: From Division to Reunification" (13/4/2011)