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EDITION 04/2024 |
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Dear Readers,
What happened at a meeting in a school building in London on April 8, 1971, received barely any attention in the media. That's why there are only a few photos. In one of the pictures, activists are holding up a placard together. They are commemorating three children who died shortly beforehand in a fire in a caravan. They are all singing the Roma anthem "Gelem, gelem". A powerful symbol: For the need for unity and striving for a better future, as well as the joint fight against exclusion.
The gathering of participants at the first "World Roma Congress" is now regarded as groundbreaking for this minority's self-organizations. And this is why "International Roma Day" on April 8, is commemorating it. At that time, activists from all over Europe met in London to talk about how to deal with ongoing discrimination, the lack of compensation for National Socialist injustice and the absence of social recognition.
Topics from the past? No, not at all.
An example: Until recently, those affected by the mass murder of Roma by Germans in Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova were among the "forgotten" victims of National Socialist persecution. They receive hardly any support either in their home countries or internationally. In this newsletter you will find out how the EVZ Foundation provides help for survivors of National Socialist persecution through its "Latcho Dives" funding program and how it also ensures that the dedicated helpers on the ground receive support.
You will also see why antigypsy incidents still remain largely unknown today. Dr. Andra Draghiciu, project worker for incident recording, research and public relations at the reporting and information unit for antigypsyism in Rhineland-Palatinate (MIA-RLP - Melde- und Informationsstelle Antiziganismus Rheinland-Pfalz) explains the reasons for this in our "3 Questions for..." section.
Have you ever been to Weimar? From May 8, there will be another reason for a trip! Find out what it is in this newsletter.
Stay curious, be informed and engage with us.
Dr. Andrea Despot
CEO of the EVZ Foundation
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NEW FUNDING PROGRAM
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YOUNG PEOPLE remember on site & committed
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The aim of the new funding programme is to promote young people's critical and reflective awareness of history and to to involve young people in the planning and implementation of remembrance culture projects. We want to empower them to deal with antisemitism, racism and right-wing extremism in a committed and competent manner. The program focuses on young people's questions about the history of National Socialism, its crimes and its before and after. Funding is provided for self-organised youth projects and memorial sites and history initiatives in Germany. The funding program YOUNG PEOPLE remember on site & committed is supported by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media from 2024 to 2026.
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Discover more and apply for funding here
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CALLS FOR PROJECTS
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Save the date: YOUNG PEOPLE remember international
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How can young people engage with the history of National Socialism in a multi-perspective, transnational and interdisciplinary way? Do you have ideas for contemporary methods and forward-looking concepts? Through the YOUNG PEOPLE remember international programme, the EVZ Foundation and the Federal Foreign Office support international historical-political educational work and enable young people to critically engage with history. The programme focuses on transnational learning at historical sites of Nazi persecution and extermination as well as on questions of European culture(s) of remembrance. The [re]act finding memories funding line focuses on bilateral and multilateral youth encounters for young people and professional exchanges for multipliers.
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From April 15: Discover and apply for funding here
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DIGITAL EDUCATION
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Film and immersive media in memory work
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How can the past be conveyed in the media? Which perspectives are adopted? And what influence do digital media have on historical storytelling? At the end of last year, nearly 40 participants from the fields of memorial work, education, art and science explored digital media in memory work as part of a Summer School at Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF funded by the EVZ Foundation. In workshops, presentations and rounds of discussion, topics included access via augmented reality, testimonies and the role of social media.
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Find the project documentation now
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INITIATIVES AND NETWORKS
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Creating living memories
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How can we make sense of the present and stand up for peace, dialog and democracy across borders? In 2023, the Franco-German Youth Office (FGYO) and the EVZ Foundation launched the joint pilot project "War(s) in Europe. Shared experience, collective memory? – Germany, France, Bosnia and Herzegovina". During a trilateral exchange of educational professionals, methods were developed and then tried out by young people. The participants embarked on a journey through Europe's military history from Paris to Sarajevo.
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Find the method box now
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HUMAN RIGHTS
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Come Out 4 Europe!
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ILGA-Europe is implementing the funding program "Strengthening LGBTIQ rights in Europe" on behalf of the EVZ Foundation. ILGA-Europe is currently calling on the candidates for the European Parliament with the campaign "#ComeOut4EU" to declare their unambiguous support for democracy, equal and LGBTIQ rights as well as to engage in a dedicated exchange with civil society. The active support of future members of parliament is especially important at the present time: Right across Europe, the rights of LGBTIQ people are increasingly under attack and the political climate against minorities is heating up. On the #ComeOut4EU website, you can see which candidates have already signed up. Don't forget: The election is on June 9!
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Find out about the campaign now
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SURVIVORS OF NATIONAL SOCIALIST PERSECUTION
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About the future "afterwards"
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The Central Welfare Board of Jews in Germany (ZWST) continues to carry out psychosocialwork for survivors and their descendants decades after the Shoah. The publication "Generationen nach der Shoah" [Generations after the Shoah] provides initial insights into issues that arose during an encounter weekend in summer 2022 and in subsequent interviews with participants. Hear stories of loss, grief, anger and painful experiences of everyday antisemitism.
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Read now
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SINTI AND ROMA
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Latcho Dives - Help for "forgotten” victims of National Socialist persecution
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"We need to make sure the last Roma survivors of National Socialist persecution can spend their twilight years with dignity", says Ion Duminica, a researcher into the genocide perpetrated against the Roma and advisor to the "Latcho Dives" funding program. Of the 23 applications received from Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, the committee has recommended ten projects for funding. In addition to supporting the survivors in a variety of ways, the project sponsors will bring about more participation and social security for their communities, develop self-organizations and make the history of persecution of the Roma known in the majority society. The projects are starting in April!
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Find out more about the program
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CULTURE OF REMEMBRANCE
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Have you ever been to Weimar?
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Soon there will be another reason for a trip! On May 8, 2024, the Museum of Forced Labor Under National Socialism, sponsored by the Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials Foundation, will open in the former Gauforum in Weimar.
What can visitors expect to see there? The permanent exhibition shows NS forced labor in its pan-European dimensions. The focus is on the relationships between Germans and forced laborers and the scope for action of the people affected and involved. Something becomes clear: The mass crime of forced labor was publicly visible to many people. After the liberation, those affected had to fight in many different ways to deal with the consequences of their forced labor. Video interviews with former forced laborers show that, despite later recognition by reunified Germany and parts of the German industry, there can only be "damaged justice" for survivors.
The ceremonial opening on May 8, 2024 marks the end of a long period of planning and development: The research for the traveling exhibition on NS forced labor, funded by the EVZ Foundation, began in 2007. Ten years later, the experts on site began the academic and educational development of the traveling exhibition into the Museum of Forced Labor Under National Socialism. This year, the museum is bringing the history of NS forced labor into the public and digital space with numerous artistic interventions and, together with over 3,000 other organizations and people from all over the state, it is promoting the initiative "Weltoffenes Thüringen" [cosmopolitan Thüringen].
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Plan your visit now
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In February, the exhibition "Shout, Sister, Shout!" opened at the Kronika Center for Contemporary Art in Bytom, in southern Poland. The title of the project, "Shout, Sister, Shout!", is taken from a song recorded by Sister Rosetta Tharpe in 1942. Born in 1915, this American singer, the daughter of cotton pickers from Arkansas, was marginalized by society in many ways: as a black woman, as a bisexual and simply as a woman. The song is still an anthem that calls for action today!
The Polish Cultural Center curated the exhibition, which focuses on the stories of Jewish women of Bytom who were robbed of their dignity and their lives under National Socialism. Among them: Käthe Cohn and Friederike Marianne Guttman, the last pre-war owners of the house at Marktplatz 26 in Bytom. Their former home is now home to the Kronika Center for Contemporary Art. |
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Find out more |
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Dr. Andra Draghiciu, project worker for incident recording, research and public relations at the reporting and information unit for antigypsyism in Rhineland-Palatinate (MIA-RLP - Melde- und Informationsstelle Antiziganismus Rheinland-Pfalz) |
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Dr. Draghiciu, you assume that there is an immense dark field of antigypsy incidents in Germany. Why is this?
As the first report by the reporting and information unit for antigypsyism shows, 621 antigypsy incidents were recorded for the year 2022. However, we assume that the number of unreported cases will be much higher. There are numerous reasons for this: Antigypsyism has only recently come to the attention of the German public, for which reason there is little knowledge about this phenomenon itself. At the institutional level, no fixed, official definition has yet been developed that is recognized by all state, political or civil society bodies. On an individual level, people who are not affected by this phenomenon tend to lack knowledge about what antigypsyism is and its manifestations in everyday life. Consequently, it is not usually recognized as such. Furthermore, German society has a long history of antigypsyism. For those affected, the antigypsy view of institutions, media and individuals is therefore an integral element of their lives. Many of them do not know any reality outside antigypsyism. They perceive the way in which the dominant society treats them as normal. This contributes to the fact that antigypsy incidents are often not regarded as exceptional or worth reporting.
Moreover, many of those affected are suspicious of a system that has excluded and discriminated against them and their families for generations. And this is why they don't report their experiences or make a complaint. Some also do not want to come out as members of a group affected by antigypsyism because they fear negative consequences. Ultimately, people in Germany are also affected by antigypsyism if they do not speak German well enough, are unaware of their rights and therefore do not know who they can talk to.
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Read the whole interview now |
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SPIEGEL+ |
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Germany's memory gap |
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On the occasion of the arson attack on the building of the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria in the Reichenbachstrasse, the Spiegel reports on memories of the attack in 1970. One thing becomes clear: The lack of attention paid to the deadliest antisemitic attack since 1945 reveals a gap in German memory. Recommendation: Interview with Dr. Charlotte Knobloch on the arson attack in 1970 for the newsletter "No Place for Hate" section. |
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Read now |
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DAS ERSTE |
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20 days in Mariupol |
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ARD is showing the Oscar-winning documentary about a Ukrainian AP journalist team in Mariupol, which documents the atrocities of the Russian invasion and siege, up to May 19. As the only international reporters on the ground, they record the suffering of the civilian population, mass graves as well as the bombing of a maternity clinic. Note: The film provides harrowing insights into the suffering of the Ukrainian civilian population - this can be very disturbing. |
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Watch the documentary now |
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dekoder.org |
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More and more raids on private LGBTIQ meetings |
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In November 2023, the Russian Supreme Court classified the "international LGBTIQ movement" as an "extremist organization". Observers gave emphatic warnings of a new wave of persecution. At the end of February, private meetings of LGBTIQ people were monitored in several regions of Russia - some people were arrested. Dekoder.org translates the research of Takie dela who asked experts what the terror implies and what can be expected from the Russian regime. |
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Read now |
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17 TO 19 MAY, BERLIN |
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Federal Congress of Roma Self-Organizations |
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What about the recommendations of the Independent Commission on Antigypsyism, secure right of residence for Roma and the threat to the Porajmos memorial in Berlin? Roma Center e.V. is organizing the Federal Roma Congress in Berlin from May 17 to 19, 2024 with the support of the EVZ Foundation. Roma organizations from all over Germany have been invited to take part and to discuss implementation of recommendations with politicians. |
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Register now |
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19 TO 20 JUNE, BERLIN |
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International conference "Ctrl+Alt+remember - Digital Remembrance today" |
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How can the history of National Socialism be conveyed using digital tools? The conference "Ctrl+Alt+remember" provides an opportunity to discuss these and other issues with international experts. The program includes two days of workshops, panel discussions, testing digital tools as well as networking opportunities. Exchange ideas with us about the content and topics of the "YOUNG PEOPLE remember International" funding program and the digital projects of the Education Agenda NS-Injustice. |
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Find out about it and join the event |
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JUNE 19, 6:30 P.M., BERLIN & DIGITAL |
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Expert discussion "Digital gedenken – vermitteln – bilden" [Digital commemoration – communication – education] |
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Social media platforms, apps, games, virtual and augmented reality have been playing a part in the culture of remembrance and historical education for a long time now. But is everything that is technically possible also meaningful in terms of the culture of remembrance? The EVZ Foundation invites you to discuss these and other questions with experts. Join us live on site or via our YouTube livestream! |
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Find out more and register |
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NEWSLETTER 05/2024 |
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Our next edition will be published at the beginning of May! |
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At the beginning of May, you will receive another edition of the Education Agenda NS-Injustice newsletter: To mark the World Press Freedom Day, we ask what journalism today has to do with the National Socialist past. You can also read more about the increasing attacks on journalists in the #No Place for Hate section. |
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All editions at a glance |
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Stiftung Erinnerung, Verantwortung und Zukunft Friedrichstraße 200 10117 Berlin, Germany T +49 (30) 25 92 97-0 F +49 (30) 25 92 97-11 Website |
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Responsible: Dr. Andrea Despot
Editorial: Katrin Kowark, Thomas Stein, Sophie Ziegler
Image Credits: ILGA-Europe; gewerkdesign, Berlin; Kronika Centre for Contemporary Art; Andra Draghiciu |
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The editorial team welcomes your opinion on the newsletter and will be happy to answer any questions. We also help with any issues you might encounter: newsletter@stiftung-evz.de
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© Stiftung Erinnerung, Verantwortung und Zukunft, 2024 |
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