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Teaching the Holocaust


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The Guardian includes a very interesting article today by Janina Struk about one of the most shocking photographs taken during the Second World War. The picture shows soldiers about to execute a group of naked men and boys. Struk points out, historians have been unable to identify the country of the soldiers or the victims. However, she points out that by the use of captions and cropping of the photograph, the picture has been used over the years by various different groups. It is an article that could be used profitably in a lesson on how photographs can be used as propaganda. Struk ends the article with the claim that the photograph in one sense, tells us nothing (we will never know the names of the perpetrators or the victims). However, in another sense, it tells us so much about the history of the Second World War and its aftermath.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/features/st...1131825,00.html

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I think the photo was part of an exhibition which toured Germany two or three years ago. The main aim of the exhibition compiled by Philipp Reemtsma and his foundation was to question the long-held belief that the German army did partake in massacres and mass executions of civilians. As the photo does not clearly show which nationality the soldiers have and if they are soldiers at all the whole exhibition and its message was questioned and in a way discredited. The ones who had organised it stopped its tour through Germany and revised it removing all questionable material. A new exhibition will be presented to the public this year ( I am not sure).

While the exhibition was moving from one German city to the next the far right organised mass demonstrations against it and called "to arms" all the hooligans they could find to turn the streets into battlefields and frighten the cities and their councillors. Some cities gave in to the mob others didn't.

My hometown Braunschweig made a complete fool of itself: the city wanted the exhibition but in a school building on the outskirts of the city - out of reach for most people. There was a long and heated debate in the city council and the local newspaper but the councillors remained unmoved by the majority of people who wanted to have the exhibition in the guildhall. Before the debate came to an end the exhibition was closed because of unidentifiable photos.

What struck me most - though I should have known better - was reaction of many people who still firmly believe that the German army followed the old Prussian principles of "honest" and "clean" warfare (whatever that is). Despite many studies showing how much the army was involved in the mass executions, that they did not only turn a blind eye to the activities of the SS but actively supported them and also turned into Hitler's willing executioners most people and many schoolbooks deny or remain silent about the atrocities and crimes committed by the German army.

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And how can the same people who, didn't see anti-semitism in the 30's, have any idea about anti-semitism in the 21st century.

I hate to sound flippant but wouldn't they be terribly old by now?

It is just plain odd to suggest, as I think you are doing, that todays Europeans are responsible for the sins of their great grandfathers. I, for instance, feel no more responsible for say the abuses of the British Empire in India than I do for the liberation of Nazi Germany .... why should I? It wasn't me.

I agree with you entirely about the need to teach the Holocaust in the context of a long history of anti semitism. I am sure there are no serious historians who do any differently.

I find it both hugely frustrating and ultimately pointless to attempt to debate with someone who appears to believe that any criticism of current Israeli policy makes one an anti-semite and on a par with Nazis. It does rather lend the Israeli government an intellectual carte blanche to do what they like.

Genocide, hatred and racism are human problems and not exclusively "European" problems. To think otherwise is an act of utmost denial and projection. It would be bad enough of course if there had been only one example of genocide in human history. The fact that it recurs so often in so many different contexts points to the true lesson of studying such subject matter - viz. that all human beings are capable of the most atrocious crimes if they allow themselves to prejudge, discriminate and value other groups as somehow less worthy than themselves. From this knowledge springs real tolerance, which is why I believe it is essential that the Holocaust along with other appalling chapters in human history be taught sensitively and intelligently in schools.

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You are flippant AND wrong... My father is a survivor and still alive... So are countless others!

I was of course referring (as I am sure you quite understand) to Austen's assertion that todays Europeans cannot see todays anti- semitism just like they couldn't see antisemtism in the 1930's.

I am grateful there are many survivors of the Holocaust who can come into my school and teach tolerance and understanding to the younger generation.

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It is odd to see the perpetrators deciding what THEY have learned from the Holocaust. Have you ever asked Jews, or Gypsies what THEY have learned about the Holocause, and what THEY would want people to learn?

Actually I have.

who can come into my school and teach tolerance and understanding to the younger generation.

And this quote from Andy tells their answer. Especially the part dealing with tolerance might interest you? Tolerance for eachother and eachothers viewpoints.

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this is a strawman you create.now where have I suggested that.

You make it very clearly in the following extract from your recent post:

And how can the same people who, didn't see anti-semitism in the 30's, have any idea about anti-semitism in the 21st century.

You also seem to want to put yourself above the tragic history of humanity

Its Europe's problem.

Projection of this nature does nothing to inform or develop our common prospects of improvement in the world. Genocide, hatred and racism are quite clearly human problems repeated many times throughout history. I would suggest, with respect, that such projection is the very life blood of intolerance.

I am a survivor......not my great-grandfather

This may well be the case but I am afraid that unless you can teach tolerance and understanding to the younger generation then I would not let you near the young and impressionable minds in my school.

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Actually, Jews in Europe nowadays have only one function, namely,

to endorse anti-Zionism so that those who attack Israel may show that endorsement as living proof that they are not themselves anti-Semitic.

But with the increasing erosion of the temporary and partial taboo against open anti-Semitism, these poor souls will soon discover that not even being rabidly against Jewish nationhood will keep them safe anymore. They can begin to say farewell to all those smart dinners with the local elites where they were treated as almost human.

http://www.europundits.blogspot.com/

Please explain the point of this rather randomly plucked quotation :rolleyes:

I would like to engage in a discussion with you austen :D

Pitiricus - you seem to suggest that if I don't support current Israeli government policy then I am an anti semite??? If this is the case then we have nothing to discuss ;)

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Well, a lot of Europeans that were alive in the 30s ARE still around... They are not the great-grand parents BUT the parents... And they still pollute the education of their children and descendents!

I am a child of parents who were young adults/ adults in the 30's and 40's; my father was a soldier in WW II. And his experiences during this war did pollute me because in his post-war life he has never again touched a weapon; even though he was unemployed at that time (1953-1955) he did not accept the offer of a good and well-paid job as an officer in the new German army. Yes, I was polluted by my father's education which made me a pacifist. Yes, I was polluted by my parents because I grew up with the conviction that something like fascism, nazism and the Holocaust must not happen again. Yes, I was polluted by my politics professor who as a communist had fought against the nazis and went to prison for that. Yes, I was polluted by one of my landlords who was a Jew and who told me his story and how he had survived in the city called Marburg because his Christian wife and friends of hers had kept him hidden in those years.

Yes, I was polluted by my generation and myself when we started to find the skeletons in the closets of our parents, teachers and professors who we suspected of comlicity with the Nazi system. Yes, I was polluted by our own search for truth and our own painful search for answers:" How could this happen? What can we do to never let such a thing happen again?"

Yes, I continue polluting the future generations by teaching them tolerance and understanding, by making them listen to survivors, by taking them to Bergen-Belsen, by making them aware of their own prejudices, by making them see and fight discrimination of any kind. I will continue doing this as long as I am a teacher and as long as I am alive.

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well, you see neither me nor my husband would have ever spoken or have any contact with your father or even you... My husband, who knows german, refuse to speak it... Not long ago, he preferred waiting in line behind a German who couldn't speak either French or English rather than help him...

A clearer case of prejudice would be very hard to find.

Getting back to the topic in question. I very much favour the measured, liberal and intelligent approach to teaching the Holocaust in schools put forward by Ulrike.

The reactive rants of both "Austen" and "Pitiricus" loudly reinforce the necessity for such "education for tolerance" in our schools.

I will now be closing this topic.

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Sure our 'friends' wont be back? :(

Getting back to the original discussion topic, I have an assembly tomorrow in which I am going to talk about the Holocaust. Rather ironically our College "forgot" Holocaust memorial day in the assembly rota last week and it is my intention to put that right tomorrow.

My message will be that the most important thing to "remember" is the recurring nature of genocide in modern society - Hitler, pol Pot, Rwanda, East Timor, Yugoslavia etc. etc. etc. and that the most important things to understand are the root causes - prejudice, racism, discrimination, violence. Things that can be within us all at our worst.

I believe that in terms of social education it is essential for us to do this when we teach the Holocaust in our history lessons too lest we run the risk of projecting the guilt and thus avoiding the central issues.

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I have spoken to my mother and told her that I posted up extracts from her play (here: http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.ph...t=0entry1597) . Should you want to use part of them in your assembly she would be more than happy. I have a powerpoint of images but it takes up a lot of memory - I can send you one or two images of you want. Good Luck with the assembly, I think it is one of the most important of the school year.

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My message will be that the most important thing to "remember" is the recurring nature of genocide in modern society - Hitler, pol Pot, Rwanda, East Timor, Yugoslavia etc. etc. etc. and that the most important things to understand are the root causes - prejudice, racism, discrimination, violence. Things that can be within us all at our worst.

Agreed.

How do you teach social harmony to people who already have prejudices engrained in them? I ask as I have a number of boys in my year group who are expressing extremist views about a number of religious and political issues. Any ideas?

(Feel free to split this into a different thread Andy, I realise this could take things off topic a little).

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