The Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Oświęcim, Poland, hosted a seminar for Czech schoolteachers on October 3‒6, 2024. Held regularly since 2002 in collaboration with the Polish Museum, this third-level seminar has been financially supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic. This year, 33 teachers from across the Czech Republic participated in a busy two-day program that included lectures, tours, and a workshop.
On both days, the morning agenda included guided tours of the former Nazi camps Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II-Birkenau. In the afternoon, attendees were given the opportunity to hear lectures on the topics covered during the morning tours. The Czech teachers gained invaluable insight into the subject of the ‟Survival Strategy of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp Prisonersˮ presented by Wanda Witek-Malicke, Ph.D. In her lecture ‟The Fates of the Romani, Soviet Prisoners of War, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Clergy and Other Nationalities in the Auschwitz Concentration Campˮ Ph.D. Teresa Wontor-Cichy examined the topic of various groups of inmates in the camp. Ph.D. Agnieszka Kita introduced the participants to the local archive, outlining its sources and documents.
During the afternoon of the following day, the participants visited one of the former prison blocks in the Auschwitz I camp, where the Czech national exhibition is located. Here, under the guidance of Piotr Supinski, they attended the workshop entitled ‟Prisoners from the Czech Lands in Auschwitzˮ. With the help of the tasks assigned on their worksheets, the Czech teachers were able to gain a deeper understanding of this national exhibition and its potential applications, not only during the excursion, but also in the classroom. The workshop was followed by a lecture by Piotr Setkiewicz on the SS in the Auschwitz concentration camp. The seminar concluded in the evening with a fact-finding tour of the city of Oświęcim. Nataliia Tkachenko of the International Center for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust (ICEAH) from the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum led the teachers through the center, introducing them to the historical developments and emphasizing the connection between the town´s history and its Jewish settlement.
We are positive that this year’s seminar has provided attendees with a wealth of valuable information and practical teaching tips they can use in their classrooms.
Naďa Seifertová
