On September 8 and 9, 2003, the Woodrow Wilson Center's Cold War International History Project hosted a pioneering international conference on Cold War commemorative efforts. The meeting was co-sponsored by the Association of Air Force Missileers, the Cold War Museum, the German Historical Institute (Washington, DC), the Harry S. Truman Library, the Kennan Institute; in cooperation with the Norwegian Aviation Museum, the Eisenhower Foundation and Eisenhower Presidential Library, and the National Coalition for History; and with generous financial support from the Boeing Company and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

As personal memory of the long ideological struggle begins to fade, creating a network among leading scholars of the Cold War and those charged with its preservation and interpretation is becoming critically important.

The principle objective of the conference was to foster a longer-term dialogue among scholars and those charged with interpreting the physical legacy of the Cold War in the United States and abroad. As a neutral meeting ground, CWIHP does not endorse any one historical interpretation but seeks to provide those involved with new and enriching resources and contacts, much as it has successfully done over the past decade in groundbreaking access to archives.

The conference brought together about one hundred cultural resource specialists, leading international scholars, Cold War veterans, media and foundation representatives, government officials, and other professionals from the U.S. and abroad.

To see selections from a photography exhibit that will accompany this conference, click here.

Related Links

• National Coalition for History: Wilson Center Hosts Cold War Conference
• National Coalition for History: Wilson Center Hosts Cold War Conference