Heritage

Contentsassessment points for peace education based on heritage49• Make your students aware of the exceptional nature of these places of remembrance.Be careful not to create unrealistic expectations. Before visiting, studentssometimes have the impression that they will undergo an intense catharsis, onlyto be ‘disappointed’ by the reality.• Be aware that commemorative sites never tell just one story; rather, countlesscollective memories come together in such places. Emphasize neutrality, the positivemessage of past events and reconciliation. Give the children the opportunityto take into account all sides of the story.The Jutland wreck exampleOne telling example is the sunken remains of the Battle of Jutland, Denmark. Thebattle was fought between the two most powerful navies of the time. Numerous shipssank in the clash, and with them, their crews and cargoes. A lot has been said aboutthis battle’s political importance, strategic significance and the tons of metal that sank.The victory and the losses were used as propaganda and in reports at home. However,few stories about the battle tell of the extent of human sacrifice. Who were those whodied on these ships? How did they feel to be out at sea in a fierce and deadly encounter?Underwater archaeologists have visited the sunken ships that took part in this battle.While diving on these wrecks, they discovered young soldiers’ bodies still wearinguniforms and shoes. What had been numbers and strategies became dead men, someof them adolescents who had left home never to return.!The Strandingsmuseum, Thorsminde, Jutland in Denmark, presents thehistory of the west coast of Jutland, including historic events and those ofeveryday life. Its collections also encompass artefacts from the shipwrecksof the Battle of Jutland.The museum has different relics from the SM-U20, the submarine which torpedoedRMS Lusitania on 7 May 1915. The submarine beached at Vrist just north of Thorsmindeon 4 November 1916, led astray by the currents and unable to navigate in adense fog. The Germans sent ships to rescue the U-boat, but the attempt failed andthe crew were forced to abandon the U-boat. During the incident, a local Danishrescue team asked the commander, Walther Schwieger, if he needed assistance, but he