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HU Credits:
2
Degree/Cycle:
2nd degree (Master)
Responsible Department:
History
Semester:
2nd Semester
Teaching Languages:
English
Campus:
Mt. Scopus
Course/Module Coordinator:
Prof Christina Bruening
Coordinator Office Hours:
Tuesdays 11-12 and upon request
Teaching Staff:
Prof Christina Bruening
Course/Module description:
The History of German memory culture and Holocaust Education (not restricted to schools but meaning the general approach of education every citizen about the past and its relevance for the present and future) is a highly interesting, versatile subject which has implications for our modern, multicultural society which we will discuss together in this class.
Course/Module aims:
Learning outcomes - On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
By the end of the class, students have acquired knowledge about the different phases of coming to terms with National Socialism and the Holocaust in German society from 1945 to our times. This included current discussions among historians on the connection between a broader Genocide Education and Holocaust Education as well as questions of particularity and universalism. Students will have analyzed and critically examined different approaches in Holocaust Education and are able to independently judge and evaluate their advantages and disadvantages. They can compare German approaches to cultures of remembrance and Holocaust Education in schools, memory sites and museums to their own experiences in Israel.
Attendance requirements(%):
100
Teaching arrangement and method of instruction:
We will do group work, a lot of discussions in class, one mutual field trip and one student oriented research project (for Iom HaShoa) for which students are encouraged to examine local memory practices (individually or in small groups). The presentation of these individual researches finishes of the class in June. No final term paper required. I want students to interact and to participate actively and to bring personal experiences from different perspectives as well as questions and struggles with the field into the classroom.
Course/Module Content:
The seminar moreover invites students to investigate the current challenges that result from the historical developments of the field. We will remember the theoretical foundations of "Erziehung nach Auschwitz" by Adorno that we read at the beginning of the class and try to discuss what went wrong considering the major election wins of radical right wing parties in Germany in recent years. We will also investigate how technical innovations such as interactive testimonies and 3D projections can or cannot replace actual survivor talks. We will critically question our own family narratives of National Socialism and the Shoa. We will analyse German culture of remembrance which is used to form a specific national identity (negative founding myth, 'champion of remembrance' etc.). And finally we will discuss the problematic and excluding moments of Holocaust Education in Germany when it comes to new immigrants (e.g. from muslim countries) and read texts from critical whiteness as well as racism criticism on this topic.
Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Christina Brüning was a highschool teacher for history, politics and English before she returned to university to pursue an academic career in Contemporary History specializing in Holocaust Education. She has taught at universities all over Germany (Berlin, Freiburg, Tübingen, Potsdam, Leipzig) and is currently the Head of the Institute for History Teacher Education at the University of Marburg.
Required Reading:
All compulsory texts will be provided digitally by the beginning of the class in March.
By adding texts from Israeli scholars such as Jackie Feldman on the Poland Voyages or Dan Porat on Schoolbooks to our reading list, we will be able to compare and discuss different memory arenas and educational goals.
Additional Reading Material:
All compulsory texts will be provided digitally by the beginning of the class in March. For an introductory reading the following texts are recommended: Theodor Adorno’s Lecture on “Education after Auschwitz” from 1966; Wulf Kansteiner’s and Todd Presner’s Introduction (The Field of Holocaust Studies and the Emergence of Global Holocaust Culture) to their edited volume “Probing the Ethics of Holocaust Culture” from 2017.
Grading Scheme :
Essay / Project / Final Assignment / Home Exam / Referat 80 %
Active Participation / Team Assignment 10 %
Attendance / Participation in Field Excursion 10 %
Additional information:
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