Who is this course for ?
This course is aimed at anyone with an interest in this period of history. More specifically, it will appeal to:
- Members of Holocaust Memorial Day committees across the country;
- Civil servants working in local or national government
- Teachers, especially those who teach about the Holocaust
- Those with an interest because of their family background;
- Those wishing to learn more about the subject before going on to apply for Masters degrees in the subject;
- Those already studying Holocaust Studies at a higher level and who want to familiarise themselves with the subject as it pertains to Britain.
- Those with a pre-existing interest in the subject, gained from museum exhibitions, books and films, and who wish to take their interest to the next level.
- Those interested in Nazism, the Holocaust and WWII
Aims of the course
The Postgraduate Certificate in Britain and the Holocaust gives participants opportunities to:
- Acquire an in-depth understanding of the relationship between Britain and the Holocaust;
- Extend their knowledge on the short and long-term impact and legacies of the Holocaust and Nazi persecution as it pertains to Britain;
- Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of key current scholarly debates surrounding Holocaust history and memory in a British context;
- Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of key case studies and episodes from this period of history;
- Demonstrate an ability to make detailed historical judgements;
- Critically analyse and evaluate different source materials from the period.
What will I be studying ?
The Postgraduate Certificate is divided into three termly units taught via a 3 day teaching block per termly unit. Students are expected to attend all of the teaching blocks throughout the year and the field trip at the end of unit 3, the dates of which are given below.
Unit 1: The Rise of British Fascism and the Refugee Crisis of the 1930s
The first unit of the Postgraduate Certificate, The Refugee Crisis of the 1930s and 1940s and the rise of British Fascism, examines the pre-war situation in Britain as experienced by both Jewish refugees who came to this country seeking refuge from the rise of Nazism on the Continent. It also examines the reception they received by those who welcomed them, those who wanted them to leave, and those who turned them away. It explores what Britain did and did not do to help. At the same time, the course charts the rise of British fascism, which did much to whip up antisemitic feeling. Topics within this unit includes subjects such as the Kindertransport of Jewish children to Britain; refugee organisations and their work; the methods of helping Jewish adults reach the UK; and case studies of the experiences of refugees who came and the internment of Jews as 'enemy aliens' by the British authorities. The unit also explores various historical interpretations of these events.
Teaching block from Friday 25 September to Sunday 27 September 2020.
Unit 2: The Holocaust, Nazi Persecution and the Channel Islands
The second unit of the Postgraduate Certificate, The Holocaust, Nazi Persecution and the Channel Islands, takes the case study of the only part of the British Isles to be occupied during the Second World War. The story of the Channel Islands and the impact of the Holocaust and Nazi persecution is both rarely taught in UK universities and little known about in the UK as a whole, and so this unit fills a lacuna. The aim, therefore, is to help students learn about this episode in history using digital copies of primary sources as well as online facilities. The course follows the experiences of the Jews in the Channel Islands as well as political prisoners and forced labourers. It also examines the heritage and memory of these groups today.
Teaching block from Friday 26 February to Sunday 28 February 2021.
Unit 3: The legacy of the Holocaust in Britain, from 1945 to present
The third unit will introduce students 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, including fiction and memoirs that contribute to public understanding of the Holocaust in Britain. The unit will also 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. We will also examine the work of the Holocaust Educational Trust and the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust in creating, maintaining and exploiting memory of the Holocaust since its establishment in 2000, as well as the role of Jewish cultural organisations in the construction and dissemination of Holocaust history and memory in Britain since 1945.
Teaching block from Friday 14 May to Sunday 16 May 2021. Field trip to Imperial War Museum date to be confirmed.
Additional information
Although this is a non-residential course, students requiring residential accommodation may be able to book Bed & Breakfast at Madingley Hall, as availability permits, at a discounted student rate. Should you be offered a place on the course further information will be sent about how to book pre-allocated accommodation. Please do not book accommodation directly via the Madingley Hall website as there might not be room availability via this route.
This course will require a minimum number of students in order to run. Applicants for this course will be notified by September 2020 if the course is not going to be running at which point students will be offered a refund of the fees they have paid so far (please see our Cancellation policy).
If you would like an informal discussion on academic matters before making your application, please contact the Course Director, Dr Gilly Carr: gcc20@cam.ac.uk.
Dr Gilly Carr is an Academic Director and Senior Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of St Catharine's College. Gilly is a member of the UK delegation of IHRA (the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance), and a member of the British Association for Holocaust Studies. Her most recent monographs include Victims of Nazism in the Channel Islands: A Legitimate Heritage? (Bloomsbury Academic, 2019); Protest, Defiance and Resistance in the Channel Islands, German Occupation 1940-1945 (Bloomsbury Academic 2014, with Paul Sanders and Louise Willmot); and Legacies of Occupation: Heritage, Memory and Archaeology in the Channel Islands (Springer 2014). She has been active in heritage projects in the Channel Islands over the last decade which promote the memory of victims of Nazism. Her most recent exhibition On British Soil: Victims of Nazism in the Channel Islands was on at the Wiener Library for the study of Genocide and the Holocaust in 2018 and at Guernsey Museum in 2019. She is currently chairing an international IHRA project which seeks to safeguard Holocaust sites at risk.
