Course content overview:
Britain's relationship with the Holocaust is an area of significant, and growing, interest both in scholarship and the popular imagination. Still in its infancy, historiography and memory work on Britain and the Holocaust is an emerging area of debate that is often conflicting and contentious. Arguments have typically centred on precise historical moments that are often emotionally loaded.
This course will introduce participants to key themes of Holocaust history and memory in Britain from 1945 to the present day. We will consider how the Holocaust is presented through film and literature, beginning with the iconic film footage documenting the liberation of Bergen-Belsen in 1945. The course will also explore Holocaust fiction and memoirs that contribute to public understanding of the Holocaust in Britain.
Following this, the course will look at Holocaust memorials and museums in Britain, including the permanent Holocaust exhibition situated within London's Imperial War Museum and the forthcoming United Kingdom Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre, along with various other Holocaust memorials and memorial gardens situated throughout Britain.
Participants will discuss the activities of the Holocaust Educational Trust and its instrumental role in the design and delivery of teaching and training materials related to the Holocaust. Due to the work of the Trust, the Holocaust became a compulsory topic for the subject of history in all schools throughout England and Wales. We will explore in more depth the implications of this on Holocaust history and memory in Britain. The course will also look in detail at the work of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust in creating, maintaining and exploiting memory of the Holocaust since its establishment in 2000.
The course will also consider the role of Jewish cultural organisations in the construction and dissemination of Holocaust history and memory in Britain since 1945. Cultural organisations, such as the 45 Aid Society and the Wiener Library, have played a pivotal role in shaping and maintaining memory of the Holocaust in Britain. Participants will take a closer look at the impact such organisations have on how the Holocaust is remembered and memorialised, for both Jews and non-Jews, in Britain.
Finally, the course will finish with a critical examination of 'British heroes of the Holocaust'. Participants will look at key figures such as Nicholas Winton and Sister Agnes Walsh, their roles during the Holocaust, and how they are actively (and officially) remembered and commemorated in British memory, culture and society.
Aims of the course:
- To offer participants an introduction to the legacy and memory of the Holocaust in Britain from 1945 to the present day
- To familiarise students with key scholarly debates surrounding Holocaust history and memory in a British context
- To enable students to critically analyse and evaluate source material
Schedule (this course is completed entirely online):
Orientation Week: 22-28 May 2023
Teaching Weeks: 29 May-2 July 2023
Feedback Week: 3-9 July 2023
Each week of an online course is roughly equivalent to 2-3 hours of classroom time. On top of this, participants should expect to spend roughly 2-3 hours reading material, etc., although this will vary from person to person.
While they have a specific start and end date and will follow a weekly schedule (for example, week 1 will cover topic A, week 2 will cover topic B), our tutor-led online courses are designed to be flexible and as such would normally not require participants to be online for a specific day of the week or time of the day (although some tutors may try to schedule times where participants can be online together for web seminars, which will be recorded so that those who are unable to be online at certain times are able to access material).
Unless otherwise stated, all course material will be posted on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) so that they can be accessed at any time throughout the duration of the course and interaction with your tutor and fellow participants will take place through a variety of different ways which will allow for both synchronous and asynchronous learning (discussion boards,etc).
A Certificate of Participation will be awarded to participants who contribute constructively to weekly discussions and exercises/assignments for the duration of the course.
