Foreword

to the documentation page of the Auschwitz project trip as part of Holocaust Education at Geschwister-Scholl-Schule (GSS) and Alten Kurfürstlichen Gymnasium (AKG) Bensheim.

The encounter trip documented here was organized for the first time entirely as a joint project of both schools. German and Israeli students took part together in an intensive week of education and exchange, which took place in Poland. The aim of the trip was to engage together with the history of National Socialism and the Holocaust, to visit places of remembrance, and at the same time to create space for personal exchange and new encounters.

During the project, we visited Kraków, among other places, as well as the Jewish quarter of Kazimierz, the Galicia Jewish Museum, and the memorial sites of Auschwitz and Auschwitz-Birkenau. Particularly formative was also the conversation with Holocaust survivor Monika Goldwasser, who shared her personal story with us and vividly showed us the consequences that exclusion, hatred, and violence can have.

Alongside the historical examination, the encounter between German and Israeli young people also played a central role. Shared workshops, discussions, cultural encounters, and many personal conversations made it possible for us to learn from one another, exchange perspectives, and build mutual understanding.

This website documents our impressions, experiences, and reflections during this special journey. The texts, images, and contributions collected here are intended not only to preserve memories, but also to encourage people to take responsibility for the present and the future.

Because remembrance means more than preserving history. It also means standing up for human dignity, democracy, and civil courage. That is precisely where the lasting significance of such encounters lies.