From January 23-25, 2026 Centropa and HERMES organized an international in-person seminar within the framework of the STAND UP project (Advocating for Remembrance: Testimonies from the Past as Lessons for the Present – Holocaust and Human Rights Education through Oral History) in Berlin, Germany. Our seminar gathered 31 teachers and educators from six partner countries: Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Germany, Hungary, and Serbia.
The main goal of the in-person seminar in Berlin was for teachers, who were working in their national groups, to prepare lesson plans based on oral testimonies from the USHMM Oral History Archive and Centropa collection.
Before the seminar, all participants had already attended one of the two webinars held on 27 and 28 May 2025, or had been introduced in a separate online meeting where they were introduced to the project activities and materials. Based on prior discussions and suggestions, they collaborated on the selection of topics connected to testimonies, from which short excerpts of up to 15 minutes were then prepared, etc. This process was guided by partner organizations from the participating countries.
The seminar programme was structured to integrate collaborative learning, historical reflection, critical thinking and engagement with the local historical events. The seminar began with an introductory gathering and a shared dinner on Friday, 23 January 2026. The main part of the seminar took place on Saturday, 24 January 2026, at the Berlin Wall Memorial Center. Following the opening address and a brief introduction to Centropa, its archive and its education program, the Stand Up project and their main activities was presented, followed by a welcome session during which participants introduced themselves and their areas of work. Afterwards, participants worked in national groups to prepare their lesson plans based on oral history testimonies. After a short break, participants attended a guided tour of the newly opened Berlin Wall Memorial showcasing various perspectives and personal stories connected to the Berlin Wall. After the tour of the Museum space, a discussion titled History and Present took place, offering participants an opportunity to share their views on teaching about the Second World War and the Holocaust and to explore their relevance to current global events.
Additionally participants presented their lesson plans, explaining which testimony they had chosen, main learning activities, main objectives, teaching scenario, reflections etc. In this way, participants were able to exchange examples of good practice from their national educational systems and shared the challenges they encounter in their work when dealing with difficult or sensitive history.
After lunch, the afternoon hours were dedicated to expand on Centropa’s principle of using places and personal stories as teaching tools. Participants were given a guided tour of the Barn quarter of Berlin and introduced to Berlin’s Jewish history and the impact of World War II and the Holocaust on its population. In the evening, a final exchange group session took place.
On Sunday, 25 January 2026, as part of the seminar in Berlin, all participants had the opportunity to visit the Topography of Terror Memorial Center or to continue working collaboratively on their shared projects.
We would like to thank our STAND UP partners for the excellent coopertion and support: HERMES, Holocaust Center Sabac, National Museum of Contemporary History of Slovenia, Genesis Project and We Have a Dream.
STAND UP is a project, supported by the EU through the CERV program. The goal of the project is to develop a curriculum that encourages critical thinking, empathy and open dialogue about the past and its effects in today's society. This seminar represents an important step toward creating new, internationally developed teaching materials to help students understand the Holocaust through authentic human experiences – and learn to “stand in defense” of human dignity through those experiences.
For more information on Stand Up, please go to following site: STAND UP – HERMES
