The Estonian Institute of Historical Memory wants to open a museum for the victims of communism in Patarei Prison. The French Embassy wishes for the museum to also commemorate the victims of other regimes, including those of the Nazi regime.
The museum will be located in a part of Patarei Prison. There are plans for a separate section dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust. In 1944, 878 Jews were deported from France to Estonia. They had to perform hard labor and live in poor conditions.
Historian Jaak Valge states that the Jews were taken from Patarei to an extermination camp. In 2010, the Convoy 73 memorial was unveiled. The French Embassy believes that the museum's name should commemorate all victims, not just those of communism.
The Estonian Institute of Historical Memory does not comment on the matter. Alla Jakobson says that no decision has been made yet regarding the museum's name. She believes that the right name, which honors all victims, will be found.
Jaak Valge believes that there were far more victims of communism in Estonia than victims of the Nazis. He says that every country should commemorate its own history. The situation in France is different.
Valge believes that France should not dictate how Estonia commemorates its history. He does not underestimate the suffering of the victims of the Holocaust but suggests creating a separate museum for them.