Abstract
This doctoral dissertation falls into the field of History Didactics and sheds light on the Public History of the Holocaust of Thessaloniki’s Jews. The aim of this study is to explore the means through which the history of the Holocaust is taught in the context of the classroom. Considering that developments in the scientific field of history concern the production and dissemination of historical knowledge, the formation of heterogeneous forms of historical culture and the shaping of collective identities in relation to the past and the lived experience of social subjects, Holocaust Memorial Day remembrance events, the erection of monuments, permanent and periodical exhibitions on display in museums and cultural centres of Thessaloniki, the naming and renaming of streets in Thessaloniki, the installation of new ‘Memory Indicators’ as a way to mark historical sites, the organization of Panhellenic scientific conferences, workshops and training seminars on this historical ‘controversial ...
This doctoral dissertation falls into the field of History Didactics and sheds light on the Public History of the Holocaust of Thessaloniki’s Jews. The aim of this study is to explore the means through which the history of the Holocaust is taught in the context of the classroom. Considering that developments in the scientific field of history concern the production and dissemination of historical knowledge, the formation of heterogeneous forms of historical culture and the shaping of collective identities in relation to the past and the lived experience of social subjects, Holocaust Memorial Day remembrance events, the erection of monuments, permanent and periodical exhibitions on display in museums and cultural centres of Thessaloniki, the naming and renaming of streets in Thessaloniki, the installation of new ‘Memory Indicators’ as a way to mark historical sites, the organization of Panhellenic scientific conferences, workshops and training seminars on this historical ‘controversial’ traumatic issue, in addition to the increase in publications related to the Holocaust are all issues dissected in the present study. The modern framework of the teaching of history urges the awakening of human conscience in order to subject the public use of history as well as any form of information to critical thinking. In the present day, one of the newest and most interesting areas of modern scientific research is the examination of the relationship between Academic and Public History. Remarkably, being an alternative form of historical education, the use of Local History in the classroom encourages the experiential understanding and research of the traumatic historical past. In light of this, this doctoral research delves into the didactic approach of the local Jewish history and the Holocaust in Secondary Schools. In the context of this work, fieldwork was carried out to investigate the knowledge, views and attitudes of teachers and students alike towards the teaching of the Holocaust in Secondary Education. To this end, teachers and students were asked to complete two different questionnaires. The sample was collected from Gymnasiums and Lyceums based in the Prefectures of Thessaloniki, Halkidiki, Pieria and Serres. More specifically, students who had been taught the subject of the Holocaust at school before this study took place filled in a specially designed worksheet. Their responses elucidate their historical knowledge and understanding of these events and more importantly determine the extent to which their critical thinking has developed. One finding of the study is that although the vast majority of teachers consider that the teaching of the Holocaust is essential and useful and hence regard its inclusion in the curriculum as mandatory, they are reluctant to teach the subject in their classrooms, with very few of them having actually taught it. This finding is also inferred and corroborated by the corresponding answers provided by the sample of the students. Thus, the research findings suggest that despite the rising interest social sciences and humanities, Public History, and society show in the controversial Holocaust memory which place the historical trauma under scrutiny, the existing educational policy in Greece fails to integrate it into school education through the implementation of innovative educational interventions. The historical oblivion and ignorance of the genocide of the Greek Jews continues to exist, notwithstanding the international developments on Holocaust Education by international educational organizations.
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