Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research in Lithuania
Jews have lived in Lithuania since the Middle Ages. During 700 years they have become an inseparable part of Lithuanian society, having enriched the country's economy, culture, science and education. It is difficult to imagine how Lithuanian society would appear today, how colorful it would be, if the biggest catastrophe of the 20th century had not occurred. About 200 000 Lithuanian Jews perished during the Holocaust. We must remember that and learn painful history lessons, know and understand the reasons of this tragedy and do everything that such events would newer shadow human history again. Memory of the innocent victims must be preserved, heroes praised and perpetrators condemned.
Executive Director of International Historical Commission
NEW: Events taking place in Lithuania to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2010
From the first days of Lithuanian independence political leadership of the country, due to the fact that during Soviet occupation Holocaust as the genocide of the Jews was neglected, pay special attention to the appropriate preservation of historical memory, commemoration of the victims, and education of new generation. By the declaration of 8th May 1990 "Regarding the Genocide of the Jewish Nation in Lithuania During the Nazi Occupation", adopted by the Parliament, the Republic of Lithuania has pledged to ensure the commemoration of the victims of the genocide of the Jewish nation and to fight any manifestations of Antisemitism. Soon lessons on the Holocaust were included as mandatory subject of the school history programs for the grades 5, 10 and 12. September 23rd was declared the national Holocaust Remembrance Day.
In 1998 by the decree of the President of Lithuania International Commission for the Evaluation of the Crimes of the Nazi and Soviet Occupation Regimes in Lithuania (further - International Historical Commission) was established with task to conduct objective research and to fill in the existing gaps in the history of Lithuania as well as to stimulate the process of historical justice and educate society by disseminating generated information and various educational initiatives.
New impulse was given in year 2000 then Lithuania jointed "Stockholm Declaration" and Government approved first National Holocaust Education Program. It encompassed a very large area of activity: teaching about the Holocaust, commemoration and museum activities, academic studies and publishing of books.
In 2002, Lithuania became a full member of International Task Force.
Period of 2002 - 2008
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Education
Holocaust education reached new methodological, pedagogical and organisational level in 2002 then Lithuania became full member of ITF and International Historical Commission initiated preparation and implementation of comprehensive National Program on Holocaust and Tolerance education. Initiative was presented and discussed during international conference "Holocaust in Lithuania in the Focus of Modern History Education and Justice". New qualitative approach was positively received by internationally recognised Holocaust scholars, educators and ITF representatives. Cooperation agreements on implementation of this program were signed between International Historical Commission, Yad Vashem and other institutions.
The implementation of the program is carried out in four major directions:
- Development of the Holocaust ant Tolerance Education Network. Today network consists of 56 Tolerance Education Centers (TEC) in secondary schools, NGOs and museums. TEC arranges educational activities for schools and local communities: teach about the Holocaust in classes by applying modern educational methods, organise conference, seminars, discussions on human rights and historical themes, commemorate victims of Holocaust, visit and look after the cemetery and memorial places.
- Comprehensive training of present and future teachers. Training programs are specially designed for teachers-multiplicators and other teachers. Training includes seminars in Lithuania and abroad and cower vide spectrum of question: Jewish history, Antisemitism and Nazi ideology, between two world wars, ghettoization, "final solution", reaction of the world, methodology of teaching the Holocaust, field trips, elements of modern educational science, and educational management.
- Preparation of national curriculum including methodological guidelines, teaching material and recourse books for teachers and students. The package will consists of the educational program, didactic, the list of recommended historical and fictional literature, visual materials (posters, maps, CDs, etc.)
- Initiation and coordination of the secondary school project activities by providing them with necessary knowledge in preparation, funding and implementation of school projects.
In 2007 after having special testing arranged by International Commission and Department of Education 56 teachers - multiplicators received the status of Consultant of Education about Holocaust.Certain parts of the program were supported by ITF.
Remembrance
National Holocaust Remembrance Day - September 23rd - was adopted by the Parliament in 1994. This tragic historical day every year receives special attention from state officials. Anniversary of liquidation of Vilnius ghetto in 1943 is usually marked by ceremonies in Paneriai with presence of state leaders, special Parliamentary sessions and other remembrance events.
Beside that, on the initiative of International Historical Commission and with active participation of TEC dozens of schools and hundreds of students all around Lithuania every year participate in the commemorative events showing respect for the victims of Holocaust. These public remembrance actions every year had different symbols (yellow butterfly, sunflower, hand, stone) and emphasis, but same strategic goal - contribute to the formation of the objective and critical as well as emotionally sensitive and value-oriented attitude of young Lithuanian generation towards the history of the native country.
Museums
There are two major museum exhibits in Lithuania devoted to the Holocaust.
The Vilnius Gaon Jewish State Museum was re-established in Vilnius in 1989. In 1990, a permanent exhibition "Catastrophe" on the history of the Holocaust in Lithuania was opened. There is a branch of the museum in Paneriai memorial - the site of the greatest mass murder of Jews In Lithuania during Second WW. Museum receives more than 20 000 visitors per year; many of them are students who visit museum as a part of organised school groups.
Kaunas' IX Fort Museum also is a symbol of the remembrance of the Holocaust victims. There in 1941-1944 the Nazis murdered about 50 000 Jews.
Museum receives about 100 000 visitors every year; students comprises 60 per cent of them.
Beside these two major exhibits there are regional museums in Kedainiai, Utena, Siauliai, Panevezys and other towns and part of their exhibition is devoted to the Jewish life and their tragic fate during the Holocaust. Also worth to mention Sugihara museum in Kaunas.
202 Holocaust sites are established in almost all areas of the country. Plagues in remembrance of the Holocaust victims are put in the most mass murder sites.
On the initiative of the International Historical Commission visits to the museums and field trips to the places related to the Jewish life before war and places of mass murder of Jews during the Holocaust are integral parts of teacher training programs and educational activities for students.
Research
During Soviet occupation Lithuania and its society were cut off from Western Europe and the process of restoration of historical justice. County ant its scholars could not participate in historical, legal, and political debates. Just after re-establishment of independence genuine Holocaust research become possible. Historians opened new tragic pages of our history and disclosed for many years neglected facts about genocide of Lithuanian Jews.
Much more professional Holocaust research become possible in 1998 after the establishment of International Historical Commission with internationally recognised historians on board and involvement of best Holocaust scholars. The large scale, comprehensive and intensive research was directed to examine in details the process of persecution of Jews in different periods of Nazi occupation, number of victims and with special emphasis to the role of institutions and local population as perpetrators and/or calibrators in the Holocaust.
Best Lithuanian and international scholars conducted fundamental research: prof. L.Truska and Dr. V.Vareikis analyse preconditions of the Holocaust and Antisemitism in pre war Lithuania; very precise and in detail accurate research by Dr. A.Bubnys on Holocaust in Lithuanian province and role of the Lithuanian police battalions in extermination of Jews; collective work of Prof.S.Suziedelis and Dr. Ch.Dieckmann on presecution and mass murder of Lithuanian Jews during summer and fall of 1941. These research works based on available archival documents from Lithuania, Germany, United States, Israel, Latvia, Russia, Ukraine present us the comprehensive picture of the Holocaust in Lithuania. They gives as the number of approximately 190 000 Lithuanian Jews killed during the Holocaust, 8 000 to 10 000 Polish Jews and 6000 Jews from other parts of Europe.
Research results are widely used for education purposes in teachers training seminars and history classes for students.
