In the tumultuous period known as the “Age of Extremes”, span-ning from the aftermath of WWII to the early 21st century, several pivotal dynamics shaped the historical landscape in Europe. This era bore witness to contrasting forces: the profound violence of two world wars, genocides, a multitude of regional military conflicts, and coerced mass migrations, alongside the emergence of peace movements that played a critical role in the success of the “peaceful revolutions” in countries such as Poland, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic (GDR), and other Eastern Bloc countries in 1989. This epoch also saw the rise of influential institutions, non-governmental organizations, and grassroots initiatives, all dedicated to fostering dialogue and reconciliation among peo-ples who had been bitterly divided by the horrors of war.

Within this context, both international textbook dialogues and binational history textbook projects assumed significant roles in the pursuit of reconciliation. Notable examples of the latter include the Franco-German Histoire/Geschichte and the German-Polish Europa – Unsere Geschichte / Europa. Nasza historia, two transnational history textbook series published at the beginning of the 21st century. These initiatives can be viewed not only as vital milestones in bilateral textbook dialogue but also as key waypoints in the broader European reconciliation efforts following WWII.