On 19 July, President of Latvia Egils Levits met with former chairman of the board of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia Prof. Dr. Valters Nollendorfs. Meeting focused on the need to create an independent 20th-century national history institution or a research programme that would focus on 20th-century history of Latvia and historical communication in particular.
Latvia currently lacks conceptual historical research, said Egils Levits. ‘That is why Latvia’s voice is so weak in discussions on European history’.
According to Prof. Dr. Valters Nollendorfs, such an institution or research programme should have a strong emphasis on interdisciplinarity. It must also be integrated in European research area and public programmes.
Institute of Latvian History operating under the University of Latvia could potentially be the national hub for these activities, added President Levits.