A ring, a silver spoon, a faded document – seemingly ordinary objects often carry extraordinary memories. Passed down from generation to generation, they become vessels of family memory and gateways to great history. The European Network Remembrance and Solidarity invites children, young people, and adults to share their stories in the international competition “Grandparents. Grand Stories. Family Treasures.”

The twentieth century was marked by events that permanently reshaped the fate of Europe and the world. Two world wars, life under the shadow of the Iron Curtain, and the transformations after 1989 are not only facts recorded in textbooks and museum exhibitions, but also deeply personal experiences of millions of people – preserved in family memories, conversations, and everyday objects.

The “Grandparents. Grand Stories” contest encourages participants to rediscover family narratives and rescue them from oblivion. Participants are invited to search their family archives for objects connected to key events of the twentieth century and to record their stories based on conversations with relatives.

At a time when the last witnesses of the defining events of the past century are passing away, the competition becomes an invitation to intergenerational dialogue and reflection on how historical memory functions beyond official narratives.

Stories and questions that inspire the competition:

· When does an ordinary object become a witness to history?

· How have war, migration, repression, or political transformation been preserved in family archives?

· What do objects remember that chronicles and textbooks do not mention?

· How can we talk with grandparents and great-grandparents about their twentieth-century experiences before these stories disappear?

· Can family stories change the way we talk about the past today?

Entries consisting of a text in English (up to 5,000 characters) and a photograph of the described object should be sent to grand-stories@enrs.eu. The submission must include a set of documents available at https://enrs.eu/news/grandparents-grand-stories-2026.

The submission deadline is 1 March 2026 at 23:59 (CET). The results of the competition will be announced by 31 March 2026.

Winners will receive attractive prizes, including a main prize of EUR 1,000, publication of the winning entries on www.enrs.eu, and promotion through social media channels.