During four days, students of the Helmut-Schmidt-Schule in Usingen addressed a central period of German history at a place steeped in history.

In the city of Weimar and the Buchenwald Memorial, they dealt with the traces of National Socialism under the guidance of experienced speakers. In addition to visiting the memorial, the young people were accompanied by experienced team leaders in workshops on different topics. The focus of the workshops was based on historically relevant topics, always with reference to the present day.

Especially with regard to the current development and increase in racist violence with racist attacks and murders, such as in 2020 in Hanau or 2019 in Halle, dealing with historical events, their mechanisms, and backgrounds is becoming increasingly relevant. But also in the context of the corona pandemic and the war in Ukraine, right-wing and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories are increasingly being legitimized, which shows and clarifies the need to raise awareness and deal with it preventively.

In the workshops, the young people dealt with the continuity and changeability of anti-Semitic stereotypes and enemy images. The workshops offered the opportunity for discussion, critical reflection and reference to the personal and biographical backgrounds of the participants. This created a sensitization for the resulting political responsibility of each individual. The central question of the seminar was dealt with: NS, what does that have to do with me? By visiting places steeped in history, sensitively examining historical events and individual fates, the students gained a true-to-life insight into a central epoch of German history away from the institution of school.

This event was sponsored by the KJP of the Federal Government and IBB gGmbH.