Archives are exciting places. They give direct insights into original sources, into history itself. Our online archives now provide access to these sources anytime and anywhere. The documents are valuable material for research-based learning because they can spark interest in individual victims of National Socialism, persecuted groups and the context of the Nazi period to the present day.

We develop educational offerings as well as supporting teachers and other educators in the work they do. Our approach is all about historico-political learning, multi-perspective education and cultivating a vibrant culture of remembrance. The victims and survivors of Nazi persecution are at the center of our work. The thematic focus is on the Holocaust, the genocide of the Sinti and Roma, the prisoners of the concentration camps and Nazi forced labor. The history of displaced persons and child survivors after 1945 and the history of tracing and documentation are also key topics.

In the area of education, we offer

  • Workshops for educators
  • Teaching materials
  • Supervision for learning groups
  • Advice and support for educational projects and memorial initiatives from an archive educational perspective

Build a digital memorial with us

You and your students can contribute to the largest digital memorial to the victims of Nazi persecution. By doing so, you will be engaging in active, lively educational work that promotes respect, solidarity and diversity. We provide useful aids and materials to help you incorporate #everynamecounts into your lessons.

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Archives right now: our educational approach

Our educational work lies at the interface between memorial education and archive education, and we participate in the networks of both disciplines. We comply with the Recommendations for Teaching and Learning about the Holocaust issued by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). The educational offerings of the Arolsen Archives all provide the practical expertise which is needed in order to be able to work independently with historical sources. And they provide information about Nazi persecution which is relevant to our own times. Our offerings include elements of inquiry-based/discovery learning, biographical learning and project-oriented learning. The analysis of historical sources is a demanding task, but it provides special opportunities for learning from the past and for acquiring analytical skills. We would like to highlight these opportunities, try them out and make them accessible in formats that can be used by people who do not have a comprehensive background knowledge in teaching or extracurricular education. We are trying out new digital methods with this aim in mind, using tools such as the e-Guide to provide fact-based historical information in a form which is easy to understand.

Please contact us…

  • If you want to take part in a workshop or if you would like us to organize an event on your premises.
  • If you would like to bring a group to Bad Arolsen for a supervised research visit.
  • If you need advice on an educational project or remembrance work.
Elisabeth Schwabauer
Elisabeth Schwabauer
Research & Education
Educational Assistant
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