From 8 through 12 September 2009, the 16th annual edition of the Czech-Brandenburg teacher seminar took place on the premises of the Terezín Memorial. The event was organized by RAA Brandenburg, on behalf of Germany and the National Institute for Further Education along with the Terezín Memorial and the Foundation of the Czech Council for Victims of Nazism, on behalf of the Czech Republic.
The international meeting was attended by 16 German and 12 Czech teachers, with programme focusing on the crimes perpetrated in the name of the Nazi and Communist ideologies. The topic of Nazi persecution was introduced by citing Terezín history, made more immediate by tour of the former ghetto and the Gestapo police prison, complete with a discussion with a living witness of the Jewish camp. The topic was supplemented by workshops organized by the education department of the Terezín Memorial and evening tour of the Terezín underground areas.
The persecution practices used in the era of Communist totality was generally introduced to the teachers by means of a lecture on Czechoslovakia during the Communist period. Further information was contributed by visit to the Vojna Memorial near Příbram and exposition on the Czech prison system and its history, including the notorious “sekyrárna” (axe room) located in what is today the state prison in Pankrác, Prague.
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