Teaching on the Subject of the Holocaust in Czech Schools
Leo Pavlat
Jewish Museum in Prague, Czech Republic
My topic in part coincides with my report "Jewish Issues in Czech Schools" I wrote last year for the American Jewish Committee. That text analyzing individual textbooks is available here. Therefore I will limit myself to pointing out principal, and whenever possible, contemporary contexts that accompany Jewish issues in the Czech schools in general, and specifically the topic of Holocaust.
The curriculum in the Czech Republic is defined by education standards, education programs, syllabus and textbooks. The standards are an expression of the state requirements in respect of quality and contents of education, and they represent a criterion of evaluation in respect of education programs and textbooks. The syllabus of individual programs then elaborates on these requirements in respect of the standards. That is why the form of these texts has a fundamental purpose in respect of the inclusion of Jewish issues, Holocaust included, in the curricula of the Czech schools.
The words "Jews, anti-Semitism or Holocaust" do not appear in the history standards for elementary education. Out of the three education programs in use in Czech elementary schools, only one mentions Jewish issues. As regards four-year high schools, the Jewish issues are referred to by a sole topic of "Israel" as part of the "Characteristics of Ancient States" unit. But the Czech Republic has other secondary schools, too. A comparison of all secondary-school syllabi presents a sad finding: Only history courses for non-diploma training institution and for secondary vocational schools deal with Jewish issues in two substantive aspects. There is a separate topic of "Judaism" and an explicit mention of extermination of the Jews during the second world war.
The Jewish phenomenon is inadequately treated also in textbooks, although more recent titles reflect a turn for the better. In general, however, the scope of information and above all their quality still fail to satisfy. It is symptomatic of the majority of Czech textbooks that they deal in an unsystematic way with the Jewish presence and omit even the basic dates. Information about the Jews is frequently not balanced. Thus students will learn about Jewish money-lending in the Middle Ages without any references how this time-specific occurrence related to the standing of the Jews. Authors of the textbooks completely disregard the autonomous heritage of Jewish ethic monotheism and make no mention that Judaism has been a living confession. At best they see it as an imperfect prefiguration of Christianity. It does not stop with history. Standards, syllabi and textbooks for civic education and the fundamentals of social science only confirm the same methodological bias.
In relation to Holocaust, it needs to be stated here that the interpretation of persecution of the Jews in the Middle Ages is still absolutely confused. There are almost no references to the ideological sources of anti-Jewish rancor. Only quite exceptionally they record Jewish narratives or refer to their obligation to wear distinguishing signs, and they largely ignore other forms of persecution. Still, many elements of this mechanism of hatred which lasted for centuries were only reinstated by Hitler's regime.
It is not any better in respect of the majority of Czech textbooks on modern history. The haphazard comments make it impossible to draw even a basic picture of Jewish history being part of the history of the world. In addition, only a few textbooks bother to register the existence of anti-Semitism and its manifestations in the Czech society. It gets quite remarkable, for example, in respect to the 1899 Hilsner affair, or the description of developments in Czechoslovakia from the Munich Treaty to the occupation of Bohemia and Moravia.
The date of publication is very important when assessing the topic of Holocaust as presented by Czech textbooks. Starting around 1995, the textbooks tend to be more sensitive, while the older texts see Jewish issues as marginal, unworthy of separate treatment. As documented by Michal Frankl, author of a recent study entitled " 'Konecne reseni zidovske otazky' v ucebnicich dejepisu" ('The final solution of the Jewish question' as covered by the history textbooks), even most recent textbooks leave a lot to be desired. In general history textbooks, Nazi persecution of the Jews is related to racist ideology and complemented by basic factual data about Aryanization of Jewish assets, the Nuremberg laws, and the 1938 Reich-wide pogrom. What's missing, however, is a historical context which would make it possible, by references to previous pieces of information learned at school, to comprehend Holocaust as part of the history of anti-Semitism and racism.
The treatment of 'the final solution' in textbooks presenting Czech history is even more controversial. To quote M. Frankl, "This interpretation...has ossified in the form of information about its initial stage - that is the formation of so-called ghetto without walls - and brief mentions about further fate of the Jews under persecution. This is corroborated by the fact that in the context of Czech history, 'the final solution' is included in the textbooks only to that degree in which it comfortably fits the interpretation of Czech history. Other facts bearing on racial persecution generally fall through the sieve of this standard. As of now, 'the final solution' has not been established in the framework of Czech history as a separate topic...
The interpretation of Czech history during the second world war is based on two basic lines: persecution of the Czech nation, and on events leading to the liberation, be it resistance at home or abroad, or the developments of wartime events. Those parts of 'the final solution' which do not fit this pattern, are only with difficulties included in the interpretation of Czech history. Just various anti-Jewish matters...can be relatively easily worked into the interpretation about persecution of the Czech nation by the Nazis and about Nazi plans to Germanize the Czech regions. This concept can be best suited by Aryanization of Jewish assets, and some textbooks have actually shifted from the interpretation of persecution of the Jews to the interpretation of Aryanization."
It is a fact that the fate of deported Czech Jews is practically left untouched by the Czech textbooks. This is corroborated by little attention paid to the Theresienstadt ghetto, or by its being dropped altogether, not to mention extermination camps. While all textbooks describe the burning of the village of Lidice in July 1942, they almost without any exception keep silent about the night of 8/9 March 1944 when there took place the worst mass murder of Czech citizens in history, when 3,800 Czech Jews perished in Auschwitz. However, information about the genocide of the Czech Jews is plentiful in comparison with the Romany. All Czech textbooks absolutely avoid persecution of the Romany, and any Czech participation in it.
A separate note would be required on errors and misleading formulations that deal with the history of the Jews and Holocaust. It is true that in the past few years, Czech ministry of education has tried to rectify this untenable situation. Its approval is based on previous professional evaluation of Jewish issues contained in the textbook concerned. This procedure is responsible that Jewish issues, and above all Holocaust, appear more frequently on the pages of Czech textbooks. At the same time, it is true that this measure has been adopted on the Jewish community's initiative and some additional comments have gone unheard.
History and civic education syllabi could have been reviewed at an earlier date to pay more attention to nationalities, minorities and ethnic groups who are associated with the territory of the Czech Republic of today, with a special consideration of the Holocaust phenomenon. The Jewish community presented a similar statement to the ministry of education back in 1996. It is only welcome that two Czech government resolutions of July 1999 call for accelerated changes in the instruction of the aforementioned areas. What's important, however, is whether these resolutions, as well as, for example, "Methodological Instruction of the Ministry of Education Concerning Educating Students Against Expressions of Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance" of March 1999, are about to produce any results. Many will recall that back in 1995 Deputy Minister of Education Miroslav Bartosek issued "Instruction For Schools To Work Against Expressions of Racism, Intolerance and Xenophobia". That was in the year of "Europe-Wide Campaign Against Racism, Xenophobia, Anti-Semitism and Intolerance", declared by the Council of Europe. It is worth noting that unlike the Council of Europe, official school documents of the Czech Republic, as well as the government resolutions referred to, do not see the expressions of anti-Semitism, so closely related to the Holocaust phenomenon, as a fact deserving separate attention. It is more important, however, that the situation in respect of educating students against intolerance, where the topic of Holocaust holds a significant place, has not improved in any marked degree even after the 1995 Instruction. That is why I remain skeptical towards the current, well-intended guidelines and their effect. I am led to entertain that stance in light of the lowly social esteem the teachers in the Czech Republic generally have, in light of their low salaries, overworking, fewer history classes, and the critical shortage of funds available for the Czech system of education. Unless improvements are made in all these areas, it is unreasonable to expect any tangible results in respect of emphasizing the awareness of Holocaust and in educating toward tolerance.
The situation could be improved by better thought-out collaboration of the ministry of education with specialized non-government institutions. Those facilities, and they include Educational and Cultural Center at the Jewish Museum in Prague, could be substantially more involved in the preparation of programs detailing the Holocaust phenomenon and those aiming to educate toward tolerance. This ought to take place not only in respect of the instruction at schools but also in educating the police. The Educational Center already works closely with the Ministry of the Interior. But I don't like to see, for example, that at its Center the Jewish Museum offers lectures and education programs about the history of the Jews and Holocaust as a private organization, without a truly effective support of the entire system of education. The Museum has underwritten all these undertakings, whose participants included nearly 7,000 teachers and students from September 1997 through June 1999. The only funds it received came from an American organization, The Ronald S. Lauder Foundation. Now our Educational Center prepared a new program entitled "Neighbors Who Vanished". Its objective is to acquaint secondary school students with erstwhile Jewish communities in their school's vicinity, with Jewish culture and monuments, with memories about Jewish fellow citizens who were murdered during the war. As with our previous projects, we are applying for funds from the Ministry of Culture, although precisely a project like "Neighbors Who Vanished" could become the backbone of a nationwide program managed and provided for by the Ministry.
Also, it should be easier than it is today for books about Holocaust and multi-culturalism to reach our schools. The Ministry of Culture purchased from the Jewish Museum a total of 6,000 copies of a book entitled "Zide - dejiny a kultura" (The Jews - History and Culture) in 1998, and also 1,000 copies of a unique book for children entitled "O chlapci, ktery se nestal cislem" (About A Boy Who Did Not Become A Number). Although these are very modest undertakings if we consider the total number of pupils and students, they should not remain an exception. On the other hand I see no reason for the altogether insufficient representation of Jewish issues among the books the Ministry of Education has recommended for school libraries. An annex to "Methodological Instruction of the Ministry of Education Concerning Educating Students Against Expressions of Racism, Xenophobia and Intolerance" of March 1999 enumerates a total of 71 titles. Of these, 3 titles deal with Jewish issues, but not a single one with Holocaust itself. I also fail to see why the Ministry-recommended list of periodicals published by ethnic groups and minorities did not include the monthly of the Federation of Jewish Communities, although it deals with questions of Holocaust and anti-Semitism on a regular basis.
I am of course aware that more important than information-packed textbooks are the attitudes which our students will acquire. That is why education of teachers comes first. In the Czech Republic, too, there were held seminars oriented on education about Holocaust, national and religious minorities. These should not be one-time undertakings for interested parties among history teachers or civic education teachers. I am of the opinion that the system of postgraduate certificates that is being readied to promote professional growth of the teachers should include a mandatory section entitled "Educating to Tolerance". Jewish issues, Holocaust included, should be mandatory in that framework but also in the colleges of education.
The topic of Holocaust has a special place in the schools today: in this world full of conflicts an awareness of this phenomenon should not be just a historical memento but also a powerful impetus in educating young people for the next century. Despite partial improvements, we still have a long way to go to achieve that objective in the Czech Republic.