As the German Association for Historical Peace and Conflict Studies, we condemn Russia’s attack on Ukraine, a sovereign and democratic state, in violation of international law.
History must not and can never be used to justify military attacks on civilians in violation of international law, as the Russian government is currently doing to legitimise its war against Ukraine.
It is the task of historical peace and conflict research to expose the potential for violence of simplistic historical narratives and to show and analyse the suffering caused by both immediate armed violence and the long-term side effects and consequences of military conflicts such as flight, lack of access to food, sanitation, medical care and civilian infrastructure.
We declare our solidarity with our colleagues in Ukraine and Russia who counter authoritarianism and warmongering with their research.
AKHF Board
Dr. Julia Eichenberg (Universität Bayreuth)
Dr. Daniel Stahl (Universität Jena)
Dr. Daniel Marc Segesser (Universität Bern)