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In the year 1998 then - Swedish Prime Minister,
Goeran Persson, was deeply shocked to learn
that a worryingly high number of Swedish High
School students lacked appropriate knowledge
of the Holocaust. Barely half a century after the
Second World War, the Holocaust – an event which
had fundamentally challenged the foundations
of civilization – was beginning to recede into the
shadows of history.
Recognizing the crucial role that education about
the Holocaust plays in the historical and civic
education of young people, Persson began the
“We share a commitment to encourage the study of the Holocaust in all its
dimensions. We will promote education about the Holocaust in our schools
and universities, in our communities and encourage it in other institutions.”
Stockholm Declaration on the Holocaust (see p.1-2)
process of uniting governments to form the
unique 31 member country intergovernmental
body which is now known as the International
Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.
What Persson recognized - and indeed what
this volume entitled Holocaust Education in
Pedagogy, History, and Practice confirms – is
that when we teach about the Holocaust, we
are not only teaching history. By reflecting upon
the moral and spiritual questions raised by the
events of the Holocaust, we raise awareness
of the dangers of prejudice and discrimination.
9 HOLOCAUST EDUCATION IN PEDAGOGY, HISTORY, AND PRACTICE