December 7 – The attack on Pearl Harbor and involvement of the USA in the WWII, consequently leading to the opening of the Western front in Europe – with its important impact on the ways the final stages of the Holocaust were carried out.
A Memorial to Raoul Wallenberg, Swedish diplomat who saved several thousands Jews in Budapest during the Holocaust.
In cooperation with the Sensus Study Association
and Serbian Association in Sweden
7. December 2016 – STOCKHOLM
With participants from:
A three-hours long event “Escalating into Holocaust” took place on 7. December 2016 at the Debate Forum of the Sensus Study Association in Stockholm.
In addition to other actors in the fields of Holocaust research, education and commemoration, NGOs and the general public, the organizers particularly invited international students of The European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden – Paideia and representatives of the local Jewish community.
As the main theme of the event was presentation of the historical events in Serbia, the Serbian Association in Sweden – an umbrella organization of associations of Serbian immigrants in Sweden supported the event and helped in spreading the information about the event among the Serbian community in Sweden, and other ethnic and immigrants associations.
photo: Nikola Radic Lucati & Misko Stanisic
The conference was opened by welcoming speeches of Ingrid Burström, Programme Manager at Sensus, and Misko Stanisic, Director of the Terraforming network, the Swedish project partner.
Introductory lecture:
Historical background – Holocaust in Serbia and concentration Camp on Sajmište
Dr Milan Koljanin, Historian, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Contemporary History, Belgrade;
Jewish community, life and culture in the pre-war Serbia
Dr Cedomila Marinkovic, Art Historian, Terraforming South, Belgrade;
Database of the victims killed at the concentration camp at Sajmište
Tijana Kovčić, archivist, Historical Archives of Belgrade;
Exhibition „October 1941“
Nikola Radić Lucati, artist, co-author of the exhibition, Center for Holocaust Research and Education – CHRE, Belgrade;
Educational concept “Ester” – graphic novels about young victims of the concentration camp at Sajmiste
Misko Stanisic, Director of the Terraforming network
A vivid discussion with the audience followed after the lectures and presentations, focusing on Holocaust education and rising antisemitism. Among other participants, the students of The European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden – Paideia from Poland, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina presented their views on the situation of the local Jewish communities in different parts of Europe.
The Living History Forum is a Swedish public authority commissioned to work with issues related to tolerance, democracy and human rights, using the Holocaust and other crimes against humanity as its starting point. The Living History Forum produce exhibitions and educational materials about the Holocaust and other topics where it is obvious that general perceptions and/or ideas have led to terrible actions. The majority of these exhibitions and projects are aimed at high school students and their teachers in Sweden.
Eva Fried, International Coordinator at The Living history Forum welcomed the participants at the Living History Forum. Eva Fried presented the Living History Forum, their tasks, working methodology, and several educational materials and exhibitions produced by the Forum, as well as the development process and the educational concept behind them. The participants could examine several of Forum’s publications and educational materials. They discussed the best practices, obstacles and challenges, and the general state of the Holocaust education in Sweden, Serbia and other parts of Europe.
At the moment an exposition about Anne Frank was exhibited at the Forum’s space, and the participants took the opportunity to explore and discuss it, too.
