- The exhibition Anti-Communist Resistance in Nucșoara: Family Portraits (January-December 2020)
Memoirs on Romanian prisons often document the horrors inflicted by the communist regime. Yet, there are comparatively few accounts chronicling the plight of the tens of thousands from rural areas who endured the Romanian gulag. Ioana Voicu-Arnăuțoiu’s exhibition pays homage to this overlooked demographic, featuring portraits of 33 families who either joined or supported the Arnăuțoiu brothers’ resistance group in Nucșoara. The exhibition was organised in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the trials and executions of those involved in the anti-communist resistance in Nucșoara (1959).
- The exhibition Restoring and Reaffirming the Historical Significance of the Remembrance of the Victims of the Totalitarian Communist Regime in the Moldovan SSR during 1940-1941 and 1944-1953 (January-December 2020)
The exhibition within the programme Restoring and Reaffirming the Historical Significance of the Remembrance of the Victims of the Totalitarian Communist Regime in the Moldovan SSR during 1940-1941 and 1944-1953 was curated by Dr Elena Postica and Dr Ludmila D. Cojocaru. The exhibition was organised by the National Museum of the History of the Republic of Moldova in collaboration with the State University of Moldova. It was accessible to visitors year-round at the Sighet Memorial Exhibition Space located on the second floor.
- The exhibition A History of Europe in 38 Testimonies: The European Heritage Label
From May to September 2020, the exhibition A History of Europe in 38 Testimonies, organised in collaboration with the national coordinator of the European Heritage Label programme, i.e. the National Heritage Institute, was displayed in the pedestrian area in front of the Memorial. The exhibition, created by the European Commission in 2018 showcases 38 of the 60 sites that are part of the European Heritage Label network.
The European Heritage Label, an initiative of the European Union launched in 2011, aims to highlight the fundamental European values and the common historical and cultural elements of our cultural heritage and seeks to foster a sense of belonging to the Union, as well as to promote intercultural dialogue, particularly among European youth. The European Heritage Label is awarded once every two years. Each Member State of the Union may submit two site nominations to the European Commission.
In March 2018, the Memorial to the Victims of Communism and to the Resistance received the European Heritage Label, making it the first site in Romania to be honoured with this distinction.
In June 2018, the European Heritage Label plaque was unveiled in Sighet. The inscription on the plaque reads ‘The Sighet Memorial provides an insight into the repression by communist regimes in Europe throughout the 20th century, including the resulting death and suffering experienced inside and outside the prison walls. It features on the European Union’s list of European Heritage Sites because of the significant role it has played in the history and culture of Europe. EUROPE REMEMBERS!’.
