The development of the House of European History which The Orkney News has been following finally opened on the 6th of May.

The House of European History  website allows you to explore and delve into our shared European social history.  It aims to:

“provide a permanent source for the interpretation of Europe’s past – a reservoir of European memory.”

There is also a permanent and temporary exhibition located in Brussels and free to access.

“The permanent exhibition in the House of European History, is available in 24 languages. It starts with the myth of Europa and how geographical concepts have changed over time, reflecting on European heritage. It’s possible to – quite literally – walk through the European political, economic, social and cultural history of the 19th and 20th century. There will be a special focus on the history of European integration.”

The permanent exhibition contains more information than is currently on the website but the online facility allows you a starting point. The House of European History is not focussed on individual nations but on

” how history has shaped a sense of European memory and continues to influence our lives today and in the future. As in our own lives, some things we want to remember, some things we like to forget. And of course, the same event can be interpreted from different perspectives.”

 The President of the  European Parliament Antonio Tajani commented:

“This house is about the things we have in common, the events we have lived through together. This is indeed not only the House of European History, it is also the home of European identity and European memory.”

For people who do manage to visit the House of European History in Brussels  tablet devices provide an interactive guide to the museum and can be configured according to  24 language preferences.

Reporter: Fiona Grahame

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