Learning from history — experience of totalitarian regimes of the 20th century

Many who have so far been involved only in teaching history may have doubts about whether historical teaching should be a teaching tool that puts human rights at its center. Combining the two fields makes it difficult not only for activists, teaching, but also for curriculum planners working at memorials. Education thematizing human rights as well as history education, and history education and Holocaust teaching in particular existed for a long time even quite side by side. Their merger became possible to some extent only by distinguishing between education about human rights, for human rights and education in the context of human rights.

The conference „Lives Beyond Borders. Toward a Social History of Cosmopolitans and Globalization, 1880-1960” pointed out the need for new methods of biographical research with regards to international individuals. The three variants of methodological approaches to transboundary lives – transcultural entanglement, territoriality, and performativity – could be applied to most of the biographies presented at this conference.

The Rothschild Foundation (Hanadiv) Europe, established by Lord Rothschild in 2000, continues the philanthropic tradition of the Rothschild family and during the last ten years, the Foundation has supported a range of educational, cultural, heritage and community-based initiatives in over 40 European countries. Now chaired by Sir Victor Blank, the Foundation is currently focusing our activities in academic Jewish studies and Jewish heritage.
The article is derived from the partner Website “Lernen aus der Geschichte”.