History, Memory, Witness

• Main Author: Stefania Zezza
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Bologna 2020-07-01
• Series: Didattica della storia
• Subjects: shoah; education; history; memory; witness
• Online Access: https://dsrivista.unibo.it/article/view/10934

In the last decades, the interest in the Holocaust has increased more and more, as demonstrated by the growing number of publications, websites, television broadcasts, films and public events regarding this topic that represents, due to its specificity, a watershed in the history of mankind. It is important, however, that the extension in the public interest for the Shoah corresponds to a specific, not episodic, study and teaching, aware of the complexity and uniqueness of the event. The Holocaust education in school, based on historical contextualization, focused on crucial concepts and on the accurate use of testimony, can provide students with both the ability to orient themselves and to 'read' correctly what is proposed by the media, and a key to stem and fight against stereotypes, intolerance and racism. It is essential to study and teach to 'read' the testimonies, which will be the only ones available in the future, whether they are written, in video or audio, aware of their difference and reflecting on the role of memory, on micro-history and on its relationship with history.