Mandatory Visits to Memorial Sites Proposed for Students

German Education Minister Karin Prien has proposed that visits to concentration camp memorial sites become a mandatory part of school curricula. Prien emphasizes the importance of these visits in fostering empathy and understanding of the atrocities committed during the Nazi regime.

She argues that such experiences should be integrated into a well-structured educational framework to ensure meaningful learning. Prien highlights the gradual process that led to the Holocaust, starting with disenfranchisement and dehumanization.

In addition to memorial visits, Prien suggests that students explore their family histories and engage with descendants of Holocaust victims, not only from Israel but also from Central and Eastern Europe. She insists that these educational experiences be executed with pedagogical care, as visiting a concentration camp memorial alone does not automatically instill democratic values or anti-fascist beliefs.

Her proposal comes amidst a backdrop of increasing right-wing extremism in schools and calls for a definitive end to discussions about the Nazi era.