1 a digital video archive: educating youth, reaching the public, and preserving the memory of the...

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A Digital Video Archive:Educating Youth, Reaching the Public, and

Preserving the Memory of the Holocaust

Experiences so far

Shoah Foundation InstituteUniversity of Southern California

2008

http://college.usc.edu/vhi/





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Why use visual history?

Interview as a unique source of data

Structure similar to a spontaneous testimony

USC SFI: Quantity and scope brings new quality

Interview as a unique source of data

Structure similar to a spontaneous testimony

USC SFI: Quantity and scope brings new quality

Kurt Thomas (Ticho)Born Apr 11, 1914 in Brno

Theresienstadt – Piaski – Trawniki – Sobibor

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

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Could be combined with existing data sources Current state of the world and reflection of history Holocaust and Jewish themes overload, atrocity obsession

In schools: Pupils today Teachers today Technology today

The effect: Face, emotions Individualization of big history breaks stereotypes Next best thing to having an eye witness in the classroom Local language, locations, situations Potential for controlled interactivity

It is not only the Holocaust that could be taught

Could be combined with existing data sources Current state of the world and reflection of history Holocaust and Jewish themes overload, atrocity obsession

In schools: Pupils today Teachers today Technology today

The effect: Face, emotions Individualization of big history breaks stereotypes Next best thing to having an eye witness in the classroom Local language, locations, situations Potential for controlled interactivity

It is not only the Holocaust that could be taught

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With proper context and mediation, a video testimony can

Exemplify the human story Tell what happened to individuals, families, communities Help localize history Provide information that is often not found in other sources Can be an effective way to help students see others like themselves Enable students to connect with history Raise issues that adolescents confront in their daily lives: fairness, justice,

individual responsibility, etc. Inspire students’ dialogue about their own role in the society

With proper context and mediation, a video testimony can

Exemplify the human story Tell what happened to individuals, families, communities Help localize history Provide information that is often not found in other sources Can be an effective way to help students see others like themselves Enable students to connect with history Raise issues that adolescents confront in their daily lives: fairness, justice,

individual responsibility, etc. Inspire students’ dialogue about their own role in the society

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Visual History as an educational raw resource

General issues

The main advantage of witness testimony is also its biggest disadvantage:

- personal narrative, full of purely personal opinions, personal event recollections, and personal emotions

- history of those who survived, those who decided to speak, those who were reachable, geography and language limitations

Need to verify data and facts

Need to evaluate the content and its “usability” for our purpose - there may be statements in the interview that could actually backfire

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Classroom issues

Taped testimony is not a living human being

Horrors…

No student should feel guilty about what happened 60+ years ago We learn history to take responsibility for the future (and see what was wrong)

Manage the time, allow time for processing, do not end abruptly

Allow for a range of reactions

Do not leave questions unanswered

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Location specific issues

Local Stereotypes, image of the Jews Role of the Jews, real or imagined, in local history

Local history of the Holocaust, differences from the usual media image

Actions of the local population during the Holocaust, and approaches to talking about it - from total silence thru denial to full admission

Need to address the issues, not silence the questions

Pick the appropriate education approach (Topical, Thematic…)

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A topic is historical, geographic, or experiential

in nature

A topic is historical, geographic, or experiential

in nature

A theme, or a concept is a basic, general idea which

lends itself to discussion in multiple contexts

A theme, or a concept is a basic, general idea which

lends itself to discussion in multiple contexts

• “Kristallnacht” (The November Pogrom)

• Deportation from X• Sobibor uprising• The Olympics of 1936• Persecution of Sinti and Roma in

the Czech-run camp of Lety

• Responsibility• Belief• Tolerance• Identity• Resistance• Totalitarian regimes and

propaganda

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Irmgard BreyerBorn Jul 25, 1929 in InsterburgGhetto Theresienstadt

Edith FrankBorn Oct 23, 1925 in ViennaRefugee (Munich, Germany – Paris, France – New York, US)





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• Who is the audience?

• What is the best way to reach the audience? What stereotypes may exist and affect our work?

• How much time does the teacher have?

• Will the teacher build upon a lesson/program that already exists?

• What is the theme/topic? How much localized it shall be?

• How can the teacher connect it to the contemporary events?

• What relevant practical skill do we want to teach?

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Experiences so far:

The Visual History Pilot Program – a grass roots based initiative to return the testimonies where they were collected, probe local potential and resources, and encourage the creation of local educational products

Currently active in: Croatia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Czech republic, Hungary, Italy, Russia and Belarus

Partnerships in Poland and Ukraine

Tolerance education, Human rights issues x historical documentation

Dealing with local stereotypes and local sensitivities seems to be the key

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The Stereotype

Everybody has certain stereotypes, and judges the world according to them

It is mostly impossible to delete these stereotypes from a human mind, but one should be made aware of them

Tolerance and judgment of individuals as such is an acquired skill, human nature favors grouping, stereotyping and constant struggle with “others”

Stereotypes may be both negative and positive, towards the “others” but also regarding “us”

To teach about stereotypes we must be aware of the stereotypes prevailing among the audience

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The Stereotype

Jan Karski (Kozielewski)Born June 24, 1914 in LodzRescue and Aid



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The Jewish Stereotype

What is a Jew?

This answer is not completely correct





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Lisa De CurtisBorn Sep 17, 1920 in ViennaRefugee to Ljubljana, arrested, Ravensbrueck



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The anti-Jewish stereotypying…

The Church Jews as evil capitalists, moneylenders, monopolists and oligarchs Jews as Communists Jews as a race Jews as a Nationality, visiting foreigners Zionism, Israel, Palestine Stereotypes about the Holocaust and Holocaust education Holocaust denial

Who are the real Jews, what are the stories of their lives Pre-war life, religion, social status, politics, integration Context People are individuals, not fitting the stereotypical vision

and the potential of Visual History to shatter it:

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Morris VeneziaBorn Feb 25, 1921 in SalonikaHaidari – Birkenau – Mauthausen – Ebensee

Jewish history as an integral part of European history…



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Enough of that, we know it all. So many people died, why are the Jews special? It happened in Poland, or in Ukraine, but not here. The Germans did it, we only tried to help and save the Jews. This is a Jewish thing for the Jews, why should we care? They did not fight, we did. They brought it upon themselves, by not being like us. The role of the Church Missing context, media manipulation, propaganda

Stereotypes about the Holocaust

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Enough of that, we know it all. bypass the usual „icons“, different, interesting So many people died, why are the Jews special? scope, level, legal status and definition, almost succeeded It happened in Poland, or in Ukraine, but not here. local testimony about local places The Germans did it, we only tried to help and save the Jews. range of reactions, and their rationale This is a Jewish thing for the Jews, why should we care? part of local history, we were next, defined by law, not self They did not fight, we did. resistance and its context They brought it upon themselves, by not being like us. pre war. levels of integration, or not integration. assimilation. The role of the Church scope of reactions. humans are individuals. Missing context, media manipulation, propaganda survivors as individuals.

Stereotypes about the Holocaust

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Central and Eastern Europe: urgent need to battle the residues of both Nazi and Cold War (both Communist and anti-Communist)

propaganda.

Interviews in local languages…

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David Landau - Jan CigelskiBorn Mar 15, 1920 in WarsawWarsaw ghetto - Zydowski Zwiazek WojskowyWarsaw uprising of 1944

End of the war is not the end of the story



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Holocaust denial:

Secrecy and denial as an integral part of the Final Solution

Morris VeneziaSonderkommando



1 a digital video archive: educating youth, reaching the public, and preserving the memory of the...

Documents

visual history

local history local

history raise issues

personal emotions history

taught slide

propaganda slide

thematic slide

us slide