Transnational Politics, Complicity, and Victims of the Holocaust - JTM515

• Title: Transnational Politics, Complicity, and Victims of the Holocaust
• Czech title: Transnacionální politika, spoluvina a oběti Holocaustu
• Guaranteed by: Department of Russian and East European Studies (23-KRVS)
• Faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences
• Actual: from 2023
• Semester: winter
• E-Credits: 6
• Examination process: winter s.:
• Hours per week, examination: winter s.:1/1, Ex [HT]
• Capacity: unknown / unknown (16)
• Min. number of students: 5
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: not taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan; enabled for web enrollment; priority enrollment if the course is part of the study plan
• Guarantor: PhDr. Karin Roginer Hofmeister, Ph.D.; prof. PhDr. Kateřina Králová, Ph.D., M.A.
• Class: Courses for incoming students

Annotation

Last update: PhDr. Karin Roginer Hofmeister, Ph.D. (20.09.2022)

The liberation action that went down in history as the “Musy transport” (USC Shoah Foundation) and, more sublimely, “train to freedom” (Beit Terezin) provides a perfect platform for analyzing many facets playing a crucial role in researching the Holocaust and beyond, such as center and periphery; allies, neutrals, and enemies; victims, perpetrators, and collaborators. The transnational aspect of this case study goes back to a private initiative of the “Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States of America and Canada” who turned in October 1944 to the former Swiss Federal Councilor Jean-Marie Musy with a rescue plan of Jewish prisoners. The action took shape when Musy met with the SS Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler to negotiate their liberation, which was also about to serve as a mitigating circumstance in a possible capture and prosecution of Himmler. On this ground, we will explore how diverse historical records provide us with access to the past. Studying and analyzing written, oral and photographic sources of particular life trajectories will enable us to investigate the recounting of the Holocaust from multiple angles. Apart from reflecting on VHA interviews, students will be engaged with diverse written records and assigned reading diaries and memoirs.

Aim of the course

Last update: PhDr. Karin Roginer Hofmeister, Ph.D. (20.09.2022)

Structured around a case study, the course will focus both on the persecution of Jews in different countries of Europe and the postwar reconstruction of the Holocaust survivors. The main aims of this course are twofold: First, to investigate the Holocaust and its aftermath by going beyond purely political history. While historical, socio-economical, and political context remains important, the focus of this seminar is on studying the past through individual and thus subjective histories. Second, to compare and challenge different forms of Holocaust accounts, both oral and written, we will narrow down the focus on one particular case study. We will examine the liberation campaign in the final phase of World War II, in which 1,200 Jews of many nationalities were sent from the Theresienstadt concentration camp in Switzerland. In addition to individual fates, the mediation of particular histories, their memory, and commemoration will be at the center of our attention.

Course completion requirements

Last update: PhDr. Karin Roginer Hofmeister, Ph.D. (02.10.2022)

Students will actively participate in classes and develop their writing, analytical, methodological, and presentation skills. At least 3 hours of individual research at the Malach Center in addition to regular classes.

The assessments are following:

1.      Fieldwork (Theresienstadt Memorial and Visual History Archive) 30 %

2.      In-class poster session on assigned project 25 %

3.      Poster on the topic of presentation including visual and audio material 45%

·      Proposal 20 % (due a day after class no. 3)

·      Progress report 25 % (due a day after class no. 6)

·      First draft 25 % (due a day after class no. 8)

·      Completed Project 30 % 

Teaching methods

Last update: Bc. Jana Poskerová (13.10.2022)

See sylabus.