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| You are here: 2000 / Workshops, Panels and Seminars / Workshops on Remembrance and Representation / Workshop 5 on Remembrance, "Testimony in Remembrance" / Presentation by Mrs. Inge Deutschkron | |||||||||
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Participants Countries and organizations Conference documentation Conference programme 
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Report from Workshop 5 on Remembrance: "Testimony in Remembrance" Presentation by Mrs. Inge Deutschkron Presentation by Mrs. Hédi Fried Presentation by Mr. Arno Lustiger Presentation by Mrs. Inge Deutschkron Deutschkron, Inge Presentation by Mrs. Inge Deutschkron First appearances in West Berlin schools at the beginning of the eighties failed, disinterest in the subject being the reason. At the end of that decade, my book ”Ich trug den gelben Stern” appeared and was acquired by a number of West Berlin schools. Yet, the great interest in my life and in the Nazi period as such was aroused by the play ”Ab heute heisst Du Sara”, put on the stage by the West Berlin children and youth theater ‘Grips’ in 1989’. This play based on the above mentioned book describes my life as a child of very active Socialist parents in the twenties, as a Jewish kid during the Nazi period and, finally, as an adolescent hidden by a number of Berliners to avoid me being deported to an annihilation camp. The play is still on the theater’s bill. It has been seen since 1989 by over 100.000 pupils over the age of 15. Thirty-five theaters have put it on the stage in other parts of Germany. As a consequence to this play, I have been invited to appear in hundreds of schools in order to enlarge on the subject or simply reply to questions. Unlike in the eighties, the pupils show a great interest in my experiences during the Nazi regime. I stress that I do not offer myself to the schools and, for understandable reasons, I am not so easy to locate. Until recently, I accepted to appear before pupils over the age of 15 only. Now, I have also included primary schools (children over the age of 10). Conditions for my appearance are that children have basic knowledge of National Socialism, and that there are no more than 30 pupils present to ensure a discussion. Meanwhile, pupils have started their own initiatives in this regard. For example, schools that have theatrical groups perform scenes from the play before their schoolmates and/or parents and teachers. Furthermore, pupils invite me to read excerpts from my books before a bigger audience whilst a schoolmate improvises, on the saxophone or the piano after certain passages. Others ask me to participate in panel discussions on National Socialism etc. The situation differs in East Berlin schools, where interest in the national socialist past appears to be less than in the West. They claim that they have been overfed with this subject. Year after year, they were led to concentration camps and were fed the stories of Communist resistance fighters and their sacrifice as if no others existed. Their knowledge of the persecution and subsequent murder of the Jews is generally limited. In the fifties, anti-Semitic influences from Moscow and later the communist bloc’s policy against Israel are obvious reasons for it. After the reunification of Germany, it was not easy to make the children ask questions or speak up in discussions, obviously not having been used to this sort of procedure. There were some unpleasant occurrences Six former students of museology recently discovered that three of the original rooms of the workshop for blind people, including a hiding-place of a Jewish family were still in existence. The owner of this workshop, himself blind, helped Jews in whatever way possible. Since I was employed by him, I did all I could to make public this man’s heroic deeds. The students arranged an exhibition on Otto Weidt in those rooms which was supposed to be open one month only. But due to the great interest of the public, it was extended and will probably be turned into a permanent exhibition, to be attached to the Jewish museum. Many schools already avail themselves of this exhibition. Both, the play and the exhibition are of immense help to bring the Nazi past and Jewish suffering before young people. Here, life and persecution become concrete features and do not remain ghosts which frighten rather than teach anything. >> Back to top |
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Introduction Opening Session: Messages and speeches Plenary Sessions: Messages and speeches Workshops, Panels and Seminars
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| For information about this production and the Stockholm International Forum Conference Series please go to www.humanrights.gov.se or contact Information Rosenbad, SE-103 33 Stockholm, Sweden | |||||||||