PRESS RELEASE
German-Jewish history in the classroom
In the Leo Baeck Programme “Jewish life in Germany – classroom teaching and in-service training”, the Foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future” is turning the spotlight on the active contribution made by Jews to social development in Germany and at the same time taking a stand against anti-Semitism before it can take hold.
Berlin, 7 April 2008. In history lessons today, Jews are generally portrayed as victims of persecution, and the active role they played in the long period of German-Jewish history is largely ignored. The Leo Baeck Programme focuses on the protagonists who made a lasting impact on society. This perspective is being incorporated into history lessons and thus helping to prevent the growth of anti-Semitism.
Three exceptional projects launched by the Leo Baeck Programme will be presented in public for the first time at the Berlin office of the Saarland at 3.30 pm on Monday, 7 April 2008. The ceremony will be attended by Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, President of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Laender, Dr. Martin Salm, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Foundation “Responsibility, Remembrance and Future”, and Georg Heuberger, Chairman of the Friends and Supporters of the Leo Baeck Institute.
- Berlin secondary-school pupils as city guides: The pupils will act as peer teachers and guide visitors in their own age-group through the Jewish cemetery in Weissensee. In preparation, they will have to brush up on the Jewish history of Berlin and hone their “teaching” and communication skills.
- Interactive website on citizens rights – emancipation – Judaism. Gabriel Riesser (1806-1863): Pupils can design their own online exhibition. The focus will be on the Jewish struggle for equal rights under the law in Germany in the 19th century. The question “How do you become German?” also forges a link to the current themes of immigration and discrimination.
- Migration and Jewish history, looking at Frankfurt am Main: Under what conditions did immigration take place in the past and what is the situation today? What impact did and do immigrant groups have on the city’s development? In museums and archives, pupils learn about the various facets of this theme.
Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, President of the Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Laender, stresses how important it is for pupils to learn about the Jewish contribution to German history at school.
Dr Martin Salm, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future”, explains what the Leo Baeck Programme “Jewish life in Germany – classroom teaching and in-service training” is aiming to achieve: “The declared aim of the National Socialists was to eradicate the Jewish population and their culture. As a result, little is known in the post-war era about Jewish life. The Foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future” would like to raise awareness of the contribution made by Jews to the social and cultural development in Europe, and in this way to counteract anti-Semitic prejudice.”
The Leo Baeck Programme “Jewish life in Germany - classroom teaching and in-service training” is an initiative of the Friends and Supporters of the Leo Baeck Institute, the Foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future” and the Hertie Foundation. To date, the partners have provided funding of around EUR 400,000 for the programme.
“Throughout history, Jews were active citizens and played a formative role in shaping society, culture and science in Central Europe”, states Georg Heuberger, Chairman of the Friends and Supporters of the Leo Baeck Institute. “German-Jewish history is an integral part of German history. Without it, German history is not complete.”
The Leo Baeck Programme “Jewish life in Germany – classroom teaching and in-service training” is aimed at pupils, teachers and independent and state school boards. Since 2006, support has been provided to 50 education projects. Funding applications are reviewed by a jury, whose members include Christoph Stillemunkes (Ministerial Counsellor), responsible for KMK-Koordination (coordination between ministers of education) at the ministry of education and cultural affairs in Hesse, Professor emeritus Dr Arno Herzig, department of historical science at the University of Hamburg, and Dr Wolfgang Geiger, high-school teacher (Studienrat) and head of the history department at the Dreieich school in Langen, a grammar school in the Offenbach district.
The Board of Trustees of the Foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future” has approved a prolongation of the Leo Baeck Programme until 2011. Five further calls for applications to the programme are scheduled, the closing dates for which are 1 May and 1 October each year.
The Leo Baeck Programme of the Foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future” operates under the patronage of the German President.
Press Release as a PDF file for download.
Contact:
Leo Baeck Programme
Jewish life in Germany – classroom teaching and in-service training
c/o Jüdisches Museum Frankfurt am Main
Dr Katharina Rauschenberger
Untermainkai 14/15
60311 Frankfurt am Main
Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)69-212 33 959
Fax: +49 (0)69-212 30 705
lehrerfortbildung.lbi@stadt-frankfurt.de
www.lehrerfortbildung-leo-baeck.de
Foundation “Remembrance, Responsibility and Future”
Press Officer
Franka Kuehn
Markgrafenstr. 12-14
10969 Berlin
Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)30-25 9297 76
kuehn@stiftung-evz.de
www.stiftung-evz.de
