Bridges of Democracy. Does the Politicization of History Harm Democracy?

On 20 February 2026, at the Aušra Museum in Šiauliai, we opened the Bridges of Democracy series with Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Baltic States with the discussion Does the Politicisation of History Harm Democracy?

We talked about today’s media of history, such as films, podcasts and popular books, their effect on democratic culture and the risk of manipulation, the line between building identity on history and dangerously mythologising it, and the role of museums and memory institutions in a balanced and critical historical narrative.

Speakers: Alfredas Bumblauskas, Norbertas Černiauskas and the museum’s director Raimundas Balza.

Photos