Iowa Public Television

European Journal

Commemorating The Katyn Massacre 70 Years (#2810)

Poland: Reconciliation in Katyn - In Poland, Katyn is synonymous with the oppression and terror of the Soviet occupation. In the spring of 1940, the Soviet secret police, the NKVD, murdered almost 15,000 Polish army officers and soldiers. The mass graves were discovered by German soldiers invading from the other direction. The Soviets claimed the Nazis had committed the murders. Not until 1990 did Mikhail Gorbachev admit that the Soviets bore sole responsibility. In April, for the first time ever, the heads of government of Russia and Poland will commemorate the Katyn massacre -- a gesture with great symbolic value, intended to relax the tense relationship between the two countries.

Switzerland: Forced child laborers demand compensation - A dark chapter of Swiss history... until 40 years ago, thousands of children were forced to work on strangers' farms and workshops. They have been waiting for compensation ever since.

Italy: Mayor welcomes refugees - Migrants coming from Libya (AP Photo) Italy doesn't normally welcome refugees arriving by boat. But a mayor in Calabria takes them in with open arms. He wants to keep his village from dying out.

Rumania: Illegal trade in human eggs - In Bucharest, the operators of a clinic are on trial for having made money by trading in human eggs. Their victims were often young Roma women; the clients were well-to-do women from abroad.

Portugal: Miranda donkeys near extinction - Donkeys are no longer of any use in agriculture. They have been replaced by tractors and machines. Now the donkeys of Miranda have a new chance to survive: in tourism. [26 minutes]

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