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Culture of remembrance in schools: Children ask questions about National Socialism
At the Rohrbach/Herxheim study seminar, primary school candidates prepare for culture of remembrance and democracy education.
Culture of remembrance in schools: Children ask questions about National Socialism
On November 9th, the anniversary of the terrible Kristallnacht in 1938, an important day of remembrance culture and democracy education took place in the Pamina study seminar in Rohrbach. Here, future primary school teachers are prepared for the challenges associated with raising awareness about National Socialism. Ulrike Maria Regner, the committed teacher who organized the event, emphasizes the importance of not only knowing the dark chapters of history, but also actively addressing them.
Insights into the past
Regner and her team have put together an impressive exhibition that addresses the cruel acts against fellow Jews and the destruction of synagogues in Germany. “Anyone who doesn’t know their past is condemned to repeat it,” says Regner. This message is particularly relevant as society is currently confronted with the resurgence of extremism and racism. It is all the more important that teachers take children's questions seriously and carefully introduce them to the topics of the Holocaust and National Socialism.
The event also included an excursion by 120 teacher candidates to three memorial sites in the Palatinate and Rheinhessen in order to experience the significance of commemoration first hand. These mandatory visits are part of teacher training in Rhineland-Palatinate, which responds to the growing threats from extremism. Regner explains that elementary school children already have questions about the Holocaust and it is crucial to answer them sensitively.
Child-friendly approaches to education
A film about National Socialism, based on the book “When Hitler Stole the Pink Rabbit,” encouraged prospective teachers to think about child-friendly teaching methods. Regner emphasizes that it is important to make children understand the events of the past, be it through cleaning stumbling blocks or through appropriate literature. Books like the “Graphic Diary” by Anne Frank and “Papa Weidt” are valuable tools for conveying the topics clearly and sensitively.