A Trinational Student Project

"Remembering the Past - Building Bridges" is a collaborative educational initiative that brings together students from Germany, Greece, and Israel to explore the local traces of the Holocaust. Funded by the EVZ Foundation, this project allows participants to engage with history through research, site visits, and creative storytelling. As part of their journey, students visited historical locations such as the Struthof and Sandhofen concentration camps in Germany, culminating in a joint film documenting their experiences and insights.

Local Greek Workshop (September 30 - October 1, 2024)

The first phase of the project took place in Arta, Greece, where students from Panagia Diasellou High School worked with educators and experts to uncover the Jewish history of their city. Led by teachers Elpida Tsifetaki and Haris Papamargaritis, alongside Anna Pantelakou from the Jewish Museum of Greece, participants embarked on a walking exploration, tracing Jewish memory and historical landmarks.

In this phase, students also engaged with archival research, historical studies, and creative storytelling methods, including short video production. This preparatory work laid the foundation for the next step of the project in Mannheim, Germany, where they would share and expand their findings with German peers.

International Meeting in Mannheim (October 13-16, 2024)

The second major phase of the project took place in Mannheim, Germany, where students from Arta collaborated with peers from Lessing-Gymnasium Mannheim. Over four days, the participants explored historical sites and engaged in hands-on research, visiting:

  • Eppingen, tracing the story of Menachem and Fred (Zahor-Centropa film)
  • Hoffenheim, connecting with local historical narratives
  • Natzweiler-Struthof and Sandhofen concentration camps
  • Marchivum, Mannheim's Archives, studying historical records

Through these visits, the students deepened their understanding of Jewish life—past and present—and worked collaboratively on creative approaches to remembrance. Their findings and reflections were captured in short video segments, forming the basis of their final film.

The Final Project: A Collaborative Film

The culmination of "Remembering the Past - Building Bridges" is a student-produced film, documenting their journey, research, and creative interpretations of history. You can watch the final film below:

Challenges: Israeli student participation

Due to the ongoing war, students from Israel were unable to participate in the in-person sessions. Instead they worked on an independent project exploring remembrance culture through food by interviewing Holocaust survivors about their lives and cooking one of their family dishes. More information can be found here:  https://yonathanbert.my.canva.site/to-remember-to-love

Funding

The project is organized by Centropa and the Jewish Museum of Greece, in cooperation with the General Secretariat for Religious Affairs of the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs, and Sports. It is co-funded by the EVZ Foundation and the Deutsch-Griechisches Jugendwerk.