CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS OF THE GERMAN-POLISH SEMINAR “HOW TO DEAL WITH DIFFICULT PAST?”
Auschwitz Memorial
The seminar addresses primary and secondary schools’ teachers from Poland and Germany, as well as students of master's degree pedagogical or historical studies from Poland and Germany who in their educational work raise the subject of WWII and the Holocaust. The language of both parts of the seminar is English. The candidates must declare the knowledge of English on the level that allows them to participate in the seminar fully and actively (at least B2 level).
The seminar will take place in Germany (Buchenwald and Sachsenhausen Museums and Memorials) on July 18-24, 2024 and in Poland (Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial) on October 2-6, 2024. The organizers cover the costs of accommodation, board, local transfers, and programme. The participants will have to pay for travel to and from places of the seminar as well as health insurance.
10 people from Poland and 10 people from Germany will be able to participate in the seminar. Those willing to participate are kindly asked to use the online application form. In the recruitment process, the following criteria will be taken into consideration:
• participation in the methodological/educational conferences/seminars/trainings about the WWI and the Holocaust both on a national and international level organized on-site and online within last 5 years
• participation in the events expanding the knowledge about Poland in Germany/Germany in Poland in general (f. e. meetings promoting the Polish history and culture in Germany/German history and culture in Poland, individual or group trips to Poland/Germany, etc.) organized on-site and online within last 5 years
The Recruitment Committee will choose the participants and create the ranking list on the basis of the information provided in the application form. The highest number of awarded points for the achievements provided in the application form decides about the participation in the seminar. If the number of candidates having the same amount of points is higher than the number of places available, the organizer allows for the selection of the participants according to the additional criterion, i.e. the order of submission of applications.
At the seminar, up to 5 teachers and students from each country can participate. In the event of a smaller number of student applications, their spots may be filled by teachers. Similarly, the reverse situation applies.
The applications must be submitted by May 22, 2024. The information about the recruitment results will be sent to the candidates by May 31, 2024.
Opinion of a participant about the seminar:
"I was really happy to take part in the seminar last year and visit the Buchenwald, Sachsenhausen and Auschwitz-Birkenau memorials. For my own work as a teacher it was important to look behind the scenes, find out and try new educational concepts and proposals all the memorials offer. My reflection on the way how to prepare the group and how to sum up the visit in the memorial site is now deeper. Equally important was also the possibility to meet and exchange the experiences with colleagues from Poland. We spoke not only about the memorial sites and how to deal with the topic of the Holocaust but also about the teaching of history and values, the school systems and with time about God and the world we live in. I spent great time with great people. The result of the seminar should be hopefully soon a long-term exchange of our students. Only when we know our neighbours, there is no place for fear and prejudice."
(Marco Nauhardt, Germany)
International Centre for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust at the Auschwitz Museum introduces the call for participants for the German-Polish seminar "How to Deal with a Difficult Past? – Educational Perspectives on National Socialism, Shoah and the Second World War." The project is organized in cooperation with the Buchenwald and Sachsenhausen Museums and Memorials.