Discussion panel
Education in an authentic memorial site – Aims, content and implementations
Panel members:
-Magdalena Wolak, Camp des Milles Memorial Site
-Dr. Alicja Bartuś, Foundation for the IYMC in Oświęcim, Oświęcim Human Rights Institute
-Dr. Joanna Podolska, Marek Edelman Dialogue Center, Faculty of Philology, University of Łódź
Moderator: Dr. Piotr Trojański
This panel aimed to talk about the content and the objectives of education in authentic memorial sites. After having discussed the theory in previous parts of the conference, moderator Dr. Piotr Trojański underlined that it was “time to have a pedagogical reflection and adopt a more practical perspective on the assumptions that were made.” This panel aimed at answering various questions raised by Dr. Trojański:
-Why should we refer to history?
-Why should history remain relevant?
-How can we translate historical facts into everyday life?
-How should we activate young people to act in order to spark reflection?
The present world poses challenges that education tries to face, but it seems that their goals are far from being achieved yet. Authentic memorial sites are reconsidering the methods they are using to draw parallels between the past and present. Dr. Trojański ended his introduction by saying that “we should not expect to find ready-made answers; this is just critical thinking about education. This is the essence of education, this is where you can look for hope. When we are let down by religious systems and social norms, what you are left with is the human being and the conscience. Therefore, this empowerment and subjectivity is especially relevant here.”
The first speaker, Magdalena Wolak, representing the Camp des Milles Memorial Site, began her presentation by quoting Simone Veil: “Shoah education is not a vaccine against anti-Semitism or totalitarian regimes; however, it can shape the attitude in every single one of you. It can make you think about the mechanisms behind this tragic history. Our witness accounts are here to make you see that we need to defend the values of democracy that are sourced out of respect for human dignity. That is the greatest legacy that we have and that we pass on to you, the young people of the 21st century.”
Following this quotation, she explained that this message is reflected in the museum’s museography and narrative. Before explaining how the exhibition is divided, she began with a short historical review of the place.
Because of the complexity of the place, the Camp des Milles often refers to its history as “histories”. On 12 November 1938, the French government allowed for the detention of foreigners. The first people to be imprisoned in this former tile factory (closed for many years) were participants of the Spanish Civil War, and very soon others considered as hostile individuals arrived, mainly Germans and Austrians who lived in the south-eastern part of France. By September 1939, the Camp des Milles had become one of the largest camps for detainees. The people imprisoned there were regarded as potential threats to national security, but in reality they were victims of the Nazi regime: French people, Czechoslovakian citizens, Poles, people from Alsace and also Foreign Legion soldiers recruited by the French army.