New learning material about the Shoah Name Wall presented
Vienna (OTS) – “Today we remember the victims of the Holocaust. International Holocaust Remembrance Day also refers to the present and the future, because we all have the responsibility to decisively counter anti-Semitism and racism today. The education and science sector has a key role in this,” said Federal Minister Martin Polaschek on International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
“Education and science play a central role in an active ‘never again’. Teachers impart knowledge about the Holocaust and the crimes of National Socialism; these findings have previously been researched, documented and archived by the scientific community. The interaction between education and science supports our culture of remembrance and the implementation of the national strategy against anti-Semitism,” the Federal Minister continued.
On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Education Minister Polaschek presented new learning material together with ERINNERN:AT, the BMBWF’s Holocaust Education program implemented by the OeAD. The educational material for visiting the Shoah Name Wall Memorial in Vienna’s city center was developed for schools from the 8th grade onwards and enables students to engage with this memorial.
“Due to its size, the Shoah name walls have the same effect on young people as they do on adults. The new learning material makes the life stories behind the unimaginable number of engraved names visible, thus enabling students to establish a personal connection to the victims,” explains Polaschek.
The new learning material was presented in the presence of a school class. “The biographical approach gives young people clear access to history. By exchanging ideas with the students, I was able to get an impression of the insights they gain from dealing with the Holocaust and how they would like to remember the Holocaust today and in the future. “I would like to thank all committed teachers for supporting students in making an active contribution to a living culture of remembrance,” said the Minister of Education in the aftermath of the presentation.
Questions & Contact:
Lena Wolf
Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research
Minoritenplatz 5, 1010 Vienna
Tel.: +43 1 53120 – 5025
lena.wolf@bmbwf.gv.at