Project Overview
This project examines the current state of Holocaust education in Eastern Europe through a critical analysis of sources, methodologies, and pedagogical frameworks. It identifies structural limitations in prevailing educational approaches and proposes alternative models grounded in rigorous source criticism, interdisciplinary methods, and closer engagement with local and regional materials.
Rather than reproducing established narratives, the project advances a source-driven and methodologically reflective approach to Holocaust education that foregrounds complexity, historical specificity, and epistemological transparency.
Status: In development
Research Theme: Memory, History, and Violence in the 19th, 20th, and 21st Centuries
Secondary Theme: Education, Knowledge Systems, and Research Methodology
Focus Region: Eastern Europe
Project Leadership
Project lead and system designer:
Hanna Abakunova (Institute for Knowledge, Research, and Society)
Background and Rationale
Holocaust education in Eastern Europe often operates within constrained institutional, political, and methodological frameworks. These constraints can result in simplified narratives, selective source use, and limited engagement with local archival materials, linguistic diversity, and regional historical contexts.
At the same time, the growing availability of digitized sources, survivor testimonies, and local archival collections has not been matched by corresponding methodological innovation in educational practice. This project addresses that gap by reassessing how Holocaust knowledge is constructed, transmitted, and taught.
Scope of the Project
The project focuses on:
- Educational narratives and curricula related to the Holocaust in Eastern Europe
- The use and misuse of historical sources in educational contexts
- Methodological assumptions underlying dominant pedagogical models
- Linguistic, regional, and archival asymmetries in source selection
The analysis draws on comparative perspectives and emphasizes the need for historically grounded, context-sensitive educational approaches.
Sources and Methodological Focus
Source analysis
- Archival documents from Eastern European contexts
- Survivor testimonies and postwar recollections
- Local and regional administrative records
- Educational materials and teaching resources
Methodological innovation
- Comparative and interdisciplinary analysis
- Critical engagement with translation, mediation, and representation
- Integration of digital tools and custom-designed research workflows
- Reflexive pedagogy emphasizing uncertainty, context, and limitation
Educational and Research Approach
The project proposes alternative educational models that:
- Treat sources as historical objects rather than illustrative evidence
- Emphasize methodological transparency over narrative closure
- Encourage critical engagement rather than moral simplification
- Adapt to diverse institutional and cultural settings
These approaches are designed for higher education, teacher training, and advanced educational programs rather than standardized mass curricula.
Ethics and Scholarly Integrity
- Rejection of instrumentalized or politicized memory frameworks
- Careful handling of survivor testimonies and sensitive materials
- Clear distinction between historical analysis and moral discourse
- Commitment to scholarly rigor and source accountability
Outputs
Research outputs
- Analytical studies on Holocaust education methodologies
- Methodological frameworks for source-based teaching
Educational outputs
- Conceptual models for higher-education teaching
- Workshops and seminars (future phase)
Public-facing outputs
- Position papers and methodological reflections
Updates
- 2026 — Project conceptualization and framework development
- Forthcoming — Pilot educational applications