MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the preservation of toponymical traces of the European cultural heritage in the areas affected by its xenophobic annihilation

8 December 1994

Doc. 7185 Revised

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the preservation of toponymical traces of the European cultural heritage in the areas affected by its xenophobic annihilation

presented by Mr LANDSBERGIS, Lithuania, EDG and others

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only the members who have signed it

1. The undersigned, members of the Assembly, consider that hydronymics and toponymics, having preserved until the 20th century the fixed long-term ethnic cultural memory belonging to the highest European cultural heritage, should be retained for the future.

2. This was often not done in the past or that heritage was deliberately destroyed by altering the names of towns, villages and even rivers and lakes. Such names are especially valuable to the dynamic and tolerant new Europe developing from the preceding, and to continuing European diversity.

3. Totalitarian regimes practised such destruction in an exceptionally ruthless way. Among all areas badly affected by such practices, the Koenigsberg-Kaliningrad land today is notable for being completely deprived of that toponymical-cultural heritage.

4. We ask the Assembly to call upon the residents of that land, alongside its administrative institutions, to consider new options for restoring the true Baltic and Germanic place names where totalitarian arbitrariness ignored the European traditions and the long-standing heritage, and attempted to rewrite the very book of the Earth.

Signed:

(see overleaf)

Signed:

Landsbergis, Lithuania, EDG

Valleix, France, EDG

Berg, Norway, EDG

Jeszenszky, Hungary, EDG

Zingeris, Lithuania, EDG

Saudargas, Lithuania, EPP

Karas, Czech Republic, EPP

Ragnarsdottir, Iceland, EDG

Johnston, United Kingdom, LDR

Andriukaitis, Lithuania

Toshev, Bulgaria, EDG

Eörsi, Hungary, LDR

Baumel, France, EDG

Fischer, Germany, EPP

Atkinson, United Kingdom, EDG

Gricius, Lithuania, LDR

Burbiené, Lithuania, LDR

Dundee, United Kingdom, EDG

Bučar, Slovenia, LDR

Reddemann, Germany, EPP

Böhm, Germany, EPP

Halonen, Finland, SOC

Kelam, Estonia, EDG

Granstedt, Sweden, LDR

Novák, Czech Republic, EDG

Kaspereit, France, EDG

* SOC : Socialist Group

EPP : Group of the European People's Party

EDG : European Democratic Group

LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers Group

UEL : Group of the Unified European Left