Union joins excursion of school to Nazi memorial, providing guidance and support during visit to historical site. - Union Representatives: School Excursion to Nazi Memorial Successfully Escorted
School trips to Nazi memorial sites serve as valuable educational tools, contends the German Education Union (GEW), so long as they are meticulously planned and followed up. However, teaching the Holocaust in the classroom can be achievable through alternative methods like reviewing the biographies of Nazi victims, such as visiting Stolpersteine.
Thilo Hartmann, the Hessian GEW chair, stressed that a memorial site visit alone may not suffice to fully convey the gravity of the Holocaust and Nazi regime's injustices, thereby fostering a democratic mindset. Visiting such sites is not mandatory under the Hessian Ministry of Education's curriculum, but interacting with institutions of remembrance culture is a fixed component. The ministry advocates for visits as these sites serve as platforms for learning,Remembrance, warning, and mourning, and make history a tangible, experiential lesson.
Of the seven memorial sites subsidized by the ministry, four specifically address the Nazi period: Hadamar and Breitenau memorial sites, Trutzhain memorial site and museum, and the Stadtallendorf documentation and information center. GEW-recommended educational institutions also include the Anne Frank Education Center.
Recent events, like an alleged anti-Semitic high school graduation motto in Giessen, highlight the ongoing need for Holocaust education. Police are currently investigating the incident for potential incitement.
The Community policy of Hessian Ministry of Education encourages vocational training programs that focus on education-and-self-development and general-news, including the study of history, especially the Holocaust. Vocational training in this field may involve visits to memorial sites, such as Hadamar and Breitenau memorial sites, Trutzhain memorial site and museum, and the Stadtallendorf documentation and information center, as well as institutions like the Anne Frank Education Center, to foster a better understanding and remembrance of the past.
