"Teaching about the Holocaust and the history of genocide in the 21st century". 90th European Teachers Seminar Donaueschingen, Germany, 6-10 November 2000 (Seminar Report)

Description

The In-Service Training Programme for Educational Staff on “Teaching about the Holocaust and the history of genocide in the 21st century” took place in Donaueschingen, Germany, between the 6th and 10th of November 2000. It was attended by 28 educationalists, all of whom were teachers, or in occupations allied to teaching. Also present were seven experts, two Council of Europe representatives, the pedagogical adviser from the Donaueschingen Academy and the general rapporteur. The educationalists, who were mainly high school teachers of history, were drawn from eight European countries although the majority came from Germany. The opening session on Monday evening was an informal affair designed to welcome participants to the Academy and help them get to know one another. A convivial atmosphere prevailed which set the pattern for the week. The main business of the seminar, however, began on Tuesday morning with Ms Carole Reich introducing participants to the work of the Council of Europe. She spoke briefly about the history of the Council, its membership and its most important bodies - the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, the Parliamentary Assembly and the inter-governmental experts. She then referred to three major projects that the Council has initiated in recent years one of which is concerned with 'Learning and teaching about the history of Europe in the twentieth century'. Among other things, this project (which culminates in a conference in Bonn in March 2001) aims to produce teaching packs on nationalism, women, the cinema and the Holocaust. In connection with the latter, Ms Reich alluded to the Stockholm International Forum on the Holocaust held in January 2000 and attended by many of the world's Prime Ministers and Heads of State. She recalled the Council of Europe's last seminar on teaching the Holocaust which took place in Vilnius in April 2000 and commented on the recent gathering in Krakow of European Ministers of Education who agreed to request their respective governments to select a day to remember the Holocaust and other crimes against humanity.

Keywords

Council of Europe

Holocaust

Genocide

Teacher Training

In-Service Training