This is a question not only of historic dimensions, as becomes evident for example in the discussion on ethical limits of genetic research. Project teams in the whole of Europe are encouraged to exchange ideas on religiously, ideologically and ethically motivated bans on the natural sciences, based on a historic perspective or on current affairs. Projects could deal with individual examples for the suppression of publications or present a historical or geographical review of the topic. In any place where an attempt is made to artificially suppress freedom of thought through mechanisms of censorship, freedom finds forms of expression in literature, art and the sciences. Religious bans on thought founded world religions such as Christianity, which perhaps would never have risen to any prominence without the martyr's death of Christ.
Censorship is a red thread, sometimes a blood-red thread, through European history.
And it was always people of the word, from Socrates to Luther to Solzhenitsyn, who defended freedom against thought control. Projects could review the history of censorship in Europe or focus on individual historical cases. European project teams could contribute experiences of censorship from their own countries, but should reflect on structural parallels and differences as well. At that time it caused an enormous scandal. Under pressure from church and conservative circles the film was banned from cinema programmes.