LMU schools project: the language of remembrance

Students of German, Catholic education, and political didactics are being trained in how to foster antisemitism-critical thinking among pupils of junior high schools in Munich. In a mobile virtual reality exhibition, the schoolchildren will immerse themselves in the life stories of Munich Holocaust survivors. In the accompanying lesson, they will acquire the linguistic tools to address such sensitive topics appropriately in words. The project is generously funded by the educational foundation of the Munich utilities company Stadtwerke München, which supports socially disadvantaged young people in Munich and the region.

In the exhibition, pupils in the eighth and ninth grades (around 13 to 15 years old) will get to know the life stories of Holocaust survivors Charlotte Knobloch and Ernst Grube. Virtual reality (VR) technology will bring their experiences of discrimination and persecution to life for the highschoolers. Current examples of discrimination and the importance of social engagement will also be addressed.

Presentation at LMU

In the process, the adolescents will be empowered to recognize, question, and counter dehumanizing attitudes. LMU students with training in VR technology, effective communication, and pedagogical practice will guide the schoolchildren, stimulate critical reflection, and help them express their thoughts and feelings. Through the close cooperation with teachers, the students will also gain insights into everyday teaching practice at the schools.

The teaching & learning project, which is being funded by the Stadtwerke München educational foundation for a period of 14 months will be presented at LMU on 15 July at 12:15. “Through our project, we’re reaching some 800 young people at an age that is characterized by a search for identity,” explains German educationalist Professor Anja Ballis, who heads the project. “By combining historical education with the cultivation of language skills and empowering schoolchildren with antisemitism-critical tools, we’re creating multidimensional access to engaging with difficult history in a way that mirrors the adolescents’ own identity development.”

“Specifically in times of social polarization, young people need spaces in which they learn to situate historical experiences in relation to the present – linguistically, politically, and emotionally. Our project creates precisely such spaces,” adds Markus Gloe, Professor of Political Education and Society. Professors Gloe and Ballis are the academic coordinators of the project together with Mirjam Schambeck, Chair Professor of Catholic Religious Pedagogy and Didactics of Religious Instruction.