The Difficult Art of Learning from the Holocaust

Both the connections between then, present and then and the question of how scholarly history (the historical past) can interact or sometimes be replaced by other forms of historical production and dissemination (the practical past) are important components. The fundamental question is whether – and if so, how – we can learn from the atypical and multifaceted Holocaust in many respects. A starting point is that there is no universal or panacea, but that all teaching and other communication of the genocide of 1941–45 must be placed in relevant contexts. For example, it may be understandable that at a time when antisemitism is a hot potato because of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, some history teachers simplify history by emphasizing Adolf Hitler and a few other leading Nazis as evil perpetrators. However, such a description is counterproductive as it leads to an ahistorical simplification. Another aspect is that there are different positions for learning, where the most advanced – and most difficult to achieve – is also the one that can contribute to the most nuanced and in-depth understanding.