Testimonies and legacy of time
Treasury of memories
The Treasury of Memories website is a documentation centre and a collection of video, audio and written testimonies by Slovenians who have entrusted their personal and family stories to a wider audience of listeners, viewers and readers. The project brings memories of people who have experienced the World War II, refugee, exile period, separation from families, a journey to an unknown world and the creation of new foundations for life. With the website, we want to join the witnesses and invite them to come to us through their stories and memories. Editors of the project entitled the Treasury of Memories are co-workers of the Study Centre for National Reconciliation Marta Keršič and Mirjam Dujo Jurjevčič.
The testimonies of Slovenians from North and South America, Europe and the testimonies of the Slovenians living in the neighbouring countries are on view. The first testimonies were recorded at the Study Centre for National Reconciliation in 2009, and the collection has continued since then. In the future, also the testimonies of Slovenians living in the motherland of Slovenia shall be prepared for the publication. Published material is collected and archived in the physical and digital form in the Archive of Testimonies of the Study Centre for National Reconciliation (hereinafter referred to as the SCNR Archive of Testimonies) and represents rich material for research, study, educational and other purposes. The collection is supplemented by photographic and documentary material, likewise stored in the SCNR Archive of Testimonies. The website creation is supported by the Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Slovenians abroad site.
The stories outline the time of the 20th century, especially the World War II period and the first years after it, extending to the present day. An intimate individual experience merges with a wider collective memory that places a personal deposition in a historical moment. The memories of witnesses are not limited to time and space, but they follow the human feeling and discover his/her deep, for a moment bitter and painful questioning, and simultaneously brave and liberating discoveries that bring awareness that also an individual is enabled to co-create the course of history.
When listening, we are invited to respect each and every deposition. The testimonies are aimed at raising awareness, sympathetic monitoring and questioning. We can better understand them, where losing the temper with human freedom, delusion of totalitarian ideologies, and breaking the basic rules that man has set up in the long centuries of living on earth have been brought to. He set them up so that he could live in unity and coexistence with dissenters and with himself and co-create a secure environment for the wider community.
It is up to us to preserve the acquired values and transfer them to the next generations. And we should not forget that history is a teacher of life!
Thanks to all of you who have already or will entrust us your stories!
