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Council of Europe |
Council of Europe |
3 October 2013
Auschwitz – Memory and Education in the Context
of European Identity
European Workshop on teaching about the Holocaust and the annihilation
of people with disabilities at the Nazi time
DRAFT PROGRAMME
Cracow and Oświęcim
Poland
26-31 October 2013
Alicja Białecka, Marta Berecka
Learning to Remember
If there is one place in the world that should arouse our consciences, that place is Auschwitz-Birkenau, the preserved space of the former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp. Despite the passage of the years, it speaks profoundly to each sensitive mind.
Today, we know how fragile our world is. Sixty-five years after the liberation of Auschwitz[1], the crime of genocide continues to be committed in various places around the world, as if humanity had learned nothing from the tragic lessons of World War II. For this reason, young people should have an opportunity within the educational system for direct contact with this place on which history has left its awful mark.
The world cannot build a future without remembering the terrible past.
Knowledge about the Holocaust and the Teaching of Memory, including the difficult and painful memories, are therefore necessary within the educational process not only to remind the world about the tragedy of the Victims of Auschwitz-Birkenau, but also for memory to spur the younger generation, in particular, to take bold responsibility for the fate of the world.
A Message from Ministers of Education
Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial
27 January 2010
Origin, aims and objectives
The organization of the workshop “Auschwitz – Memory and Education in the Context of European Identity” has been initiated by the Council of Europe whose intention is to maintain the well-tried and successful educational teacher training activity that was realized within the program of Pestalozzi European Workshops in the years 2006-2011. The partners of the workshop are the International Centre for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust and the Pedagogical University of Cracow.
The program of Pestalozzi European Workshops devoted to memory and education was the realization of a commitment made by the Polish Minister of Education, Miroslaw Sawicki, during the European Seminar of Ministers of Education of the Council of Europe that took place on 4-6 May 2005. The subject matter as well as program dealt with teaching memory in context of Holocaust Remembrance Day and in the fight to end crimes against humanity. As a result of this commitment six European workshops devoted to the topic of memory and education in memorial sites were realized in Cracow and Oświęcim.
Their topics and program reflect teaching remembrance in the context of Holocaust Remembrance Day as well as education for the prevention of crimes against humanity. The unique value of these workshops resulted from the fact that they all were conducted in the authentic historical site of the biggest German Nazi death camp. Some of the European Cultural Convention’s 49 signatory countries had chosen a date for the day in the light of their own national history. However, many countries chose January 27, to symbolically emphasize the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1945.
So far six European workshops devoted to the topic of memory and education in memorial sites have been realized by the same partners:
- Auschwitz – History and Symbolism, 10-15 September 2006
- Auschwitz — History, Memory and Education, 12-17 October 2007
- Auschwitz – Remembering for the Future. Teaching the Holocaust in the Authentic Memorial Site, 7-13 September 2008
- Auschwitz and the Holocaust in the Context of Teaching Remembrance in Europe, 21-25 September 2009
- Auschwitz and the Holocaust in the Context of Human Rights Education, 10-16 October 2010
- Teaching about the Holocaust: Integration of Site Visits in the pedagogical work, 8-14 October 2011
European Workshops were aimed at visiting the authentic memorial site of Auschwitz-Birkenau in order to:
- provide teachers and educators with the history of the largest German Nazi concentration and death camp
- introduce issues concerning the symbolism, memory and commemoration of Auschwitz
- discuss various aspects of education at the authentic Holocaust-related memorial sites
- prepare visits that teachers and educators will organize for their classes
- have a better knowledge on how to prepare lessons on the subject of the Holocaust
- prepare project(s) for the implementation of the “Day of Remembrance”
- exchange views, ideas and experiences
- create networks of teachers and educators concerned about the Holocaust education
- broaden teachers’ knowledge on the history of Polish Jews
- give the opportunity to get acquainted with the multicultural heritage of Cracow
The main goal of this seminar was, above all, to properly prepare the participants for work as well as completing visits with young people to the Auschwitz Museum and other Memorial Sites. That is why the program included practical workshop activities, which were presented by the authors of the “European pack for visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum. Guidelines for teachers and educators.”
Additionally, the workshop was aimed at visiting the authentic memorial site of Auschwitz-Birkenau in order to:
- provide teachers and educators with the history of the largest German Nazi concentration and death camp
- introduce issues concerning the symbolism, memory and commemoration of Auschwitz
- discuss various aspects of education at the authentic Holocaust-related memorial sites
- exchange views, ideas and experiences concerning educational challenges that teachers might face in Holocaust-related sites.
Other objectives of the workshop included:
- creating networks of teachers and educators concerned about the Holocaust education
- broadening teachers’ knowledge on the history of Polish Jews
- giving an opportunity to get acquainted with the multicultural heritage of Cracow
European pack
“European pack for visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum. Guidelines for teachers and educators” — is an English language publication for teachers and educators, who are planning a visit for young people to the Auschwitz Memorial Site. The publication is the result of several years of work between the International Center for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, the Council of Europe, and the National Ministry of Education of the Republic of Poland. The book contains, among other things, practical information about visiting the Memorial Site, Historical materials and texts, lesson plans, as well as an array of information about the contemporary meaning of Auschwitz. The pack has already been published in Polish and French and due to the fact that there is a high demand for this book, it will most probably be translated into other languages as well.
This project came into being following a Pestalozzi Workshop provided for around 50 European teachers that was held at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and the Pedagogical University of Cracow in September 2006. After a week of intensive training, a proposal by the Council of Europe experts that an educational pack be produced for those who wish to visit the former camp with their students, caught the attention of the Polish Ministry of Education and the Museum Educational Center. The teachers present had indicated that it would be useful to have teaching notes to help them organize study visits with their students, from the preparatory stages through actual conduct of the visits to follow-up. The museum confirmed that there was an urgent need for such teaching notes, as there was continuous demand from teachers from all over Europe who wished to visit the camp with their students.
A special team was set up in Warsaw in March 2007 to establish a joint process involving the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, the Polish Ministry of Education and the Council of Europe. Without the active participation of the three partners, the project would not have been possible. The project has been funded by the Polish Ministry of Education. Authors of the European Pack are experts from the Council of Europe, Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, Pedagogical University of Cracow, the Polish Institute of National Remembrance, teachers and educators.
The content of the book covers the methodological recommendations for working with students before, during and after the visit at the Memorial. The teacher learn how to prepare young people for the visit, how a tour of the Memorial should look, as well as how to conduct the evaluation. The publication contains not only all essential practical information on the preparation, conducting and organization of visits, but also numerous historical texts and other materials, lesson plans, and information on the contemporary significance and functioning of the Auschwitz Memorial.
The first part of the book is devoted to preparations for the visit. The subjects covered include what students should know before arriving at the Memorial, what emotions they will have to deal with during the visit, and how they can benefit from meetings with eyewitnesses to history.
In the second part, on the actual visit to the Auschwitz site, there is information on the history of the Museum, the work of the International Center for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust and other educational institutions that function around the Memorial, and a brief description of the Museum exhibition. One chapter describes the basic difficulties, both organizational and emotional, that can arise during visits.
What should be done after a group returns from the Memorial is the subject of the third part of the book. The topics covered include following up the visit and returning to normality, suggestions for interdisciplinary projects on the intersection of the history of Auschwitz and contemporary times, and several plans for lessons such as "What Should We Do with What We Learned at Auschwitz?"
In the view of Museum Director Dr. Piotr M.A. Cywiński, the new publication and the resulting well prepared visits to the Memorial site will surely produce results that can be measured. "A visit to the authentic space of Auschwitz is more than education," he said. "It's an experience."
Organization
The workshop “European Workshop on teaching about the Holocaust and the elimination of people with disabilities at the Nazi time” is to be organized for teachers and educators (of 14-19 years old students) of history, literature, arts, civic education, ethics, philosophy, religion, geography, biology, etc., who are planning to organize study visits to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum and work with students with different disabilities.
The training session itself will take place in Cracow and at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial in Oświęcim. A full program of lectures, workshops and visits based on the publication of the Council of Europe “European Pack for Visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum – Guidelines for teachers and educators” has been prepared by experts from: the International Centre for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust, the Pedagogical University of Cracow and the Council of Europe. These activities are planned to help participants better to integrate sites visits in their teaching practice by being more acquainted with the following issues:
- Educational aspects of authentic Holocaust-related memorial sites;
- Educational program, specially adapted for mentally disabled people, for visiting Auschwitz Museum and Memorial Site;
- Organization of study visits and preparation of lessons about the Holocaust and elimination of people with disabilities at the Nazi time;
- Contribution of authentic site visits to democratic citizenship and human rights education;
- Cooperation between the participating countries by the exchange of experiences and good practice in the field;
- Knowledge on the history of Poland and Polish Jews.
Additionally, participants will be acquainted with issues concerning people with disabilities both in the historical context and contemporary educational programs developed by the International Centre for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust.
European Workshop on teaching about the Holocaust and the annihilation of people with disabilities at the Nazi time
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Saturday, 26 October 2013 - Cracow |
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Arrivals of participants, accommodation at the Ibis Hotel, Cracow |
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15.00 – 18.00 |
The Old City of Cracow and the Jewish Quarter in Kazimierz - guided study tour |
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19.30 |
Dinner |
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Sunday, 27 October 2013 - Cracow |
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09.30-10.00 |
Official opening of the European Workshop at the Pedagogical University of Cracow:
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10.00-11.00 |
Day of Remembrance of the Holocaust and for the Prevention of Crimes Against Humanity – presentation and discussion – Ms Irena Kowalczyk-Kedziora, Council of Europe |
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11.00-11.30 |
Coffee break |
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11.30-12.30 |
“Teaching about the Holocaust in Poland. Historical perspective” - lecture and discussion – Mr Piotr Trojański, Phd, Pedagogical University of Cracow |
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12.30-13.30 |
“European Pack for Visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum” – presentation of the publication – Ms Alicja Białecka, Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum |
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13.30-15.00 |
Lunch |
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15.00-16.30 |
Bus transfer to Oświęcim, accommodation at Olecki Hotel |
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17.30-19.00 |
“History through Art- historical education of disabled youth at the Auschwitz Museum based on the Polish-German Art workshops” – Ms Ewa Guziak, International Youth Meeting Centre * |
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20.00 |
Dinner |
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Monday, 28 October 2013 – Oświęcim |
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8.30 |
Bus transfer to the Auschwitz Jewish Centre in Oświęcim |
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9.00-10.30 |
“Life before and after Auschwitz: educational context” – Mr Maciek Zabierowski, AJC |
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10.30-11.30 |
Bus transfer to International Centre for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust, Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, Coffee break |
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11.30 – 13.00 |
“Nazi persecution of people with disabilities and its realization at |
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13.00 – 14.30 |
Lunch |
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14.30 – 17.30 |
Guided study tour of the former camp Auschwitz I, including chosen national exhibitions (in small groups) |
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19.00 |
Dinner |
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Tuesday, 29 October 2013 – Oświęcim |
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08.45 |
Transfer by bus to Birkenau |
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9.00 – 13.00 |
Guided study tour of Auschwitz II-Birkenau |
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13.00 – 14.30 |
Lunch |
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14.30 – 16.00 |
“After the visit: Evaluating the visit and getting back to normality” – session based on the manual – Ms Alicja Białecka, Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum |
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16.00 – 16.30 |
Coffee break |
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16.30 – 18.00 |
“ICEAH as a Centre of Historical and Civic Education” – presentation and discussion – Ms Marta Berecka, Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum |
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19.00 |
Dinner |
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Wednesday, 30 October 2013 – Oświęcim |
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08.30 |
Walk to the International Centre for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust |
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09.00 - 10.30 |
“Difficult–Simple Words” – educational program, specially adapted for people with intellectual disabilities, for visiting the grounds of the camp - presentation and discussion – Ms Alicja Wójcik – Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum |
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10.30 - 11.00 |
Coffee break |
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11.00 – 12.30 |
“Life behind the barbed wire fence” - meeting with a survivor * |
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12.3 0 – 14.00 |
Lunch |
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14.00 - 15.30 |
Auschwitz Art and Museum Collections – the Collection Department – Ms Agnieszka Sieradzka |
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15.30-16.00 |
Coffee break |
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16.00 - 17.30 |
Evaluation of the European Workshop - participants' reflections (certificates) |
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19.00 |
Departure to Cracow. Farewell dinner on the way to Cracow. |
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Around 22.00 |
Arrival to Ibis Hotel, Cracow. Check in. |
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Thursday, 31 October 2013 – Cracow |
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After breakfast |
Visit to the exhibition dedicated to the history of Cracow in the period 1939–1945 created in the administrative building of the former Oskar Schindler’s Factory. (Optional) Departure of participants
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*lectures with interpretation Polish-English
[1] The camp of Auschwitz was liberated on 27 January 1945, i.e. 68 years ago at the time of the present workshop.