The Holocaust may not seem like an important topic of study to the average MTSU student, but for many it is. MTSU not only offers Holocaust studies as a minor, but also hosts a Holocaust conference every two years.
The Ninth Biennial Holocaust conference took place Oct. 22 to Oct 24 and featured several speakers. Among those speakers was Gerhard L. Weinberg. Weinberg is known mostly for his studies of World War II, and this was his third time speaking at our Holocaust conference. Weinberg’s speech was titled "Roosevelt, Truman and the Holocaust."
Others who spoke at the conference include professor Raffael Scheck, the author of the book “Hitler’s African Victims.” Linda Hooper, who helped form the Paper Clip Project at Whitwell Middle School, came to speak. Several Holocaust survivors also spoke.
The conference is organized by the Holocaust Studies department at MTSU and tries to educate students and the community about the events of the Holocaust.
Weinberg has devoted his life to studying the Holocaust and World War II; he is passionate about studying and understanding the Holocaust.
“It’s very important because this is the origin of the world in which we live.” Weinberg says.
One of the goals of the conference is to remember the events of the Holocaust, even though nearly sixty years have passed since its occurrence. Remembrance of the Holocaust is essential in moving on as a society and understanding how certain events came about.
The organizers of the conference feel that forgetting such events or denying them risks a repeat of history. They feel it is important to study historical events such as the Holocaust and learn why they happened and how to be aware of racial, religious and social prejudices.
The conference also promotes the study of the Holocaust through the Holocaust studies minor that MTSU offers students. There are many options for minors and electives that may not be thought about by students. The Holocaust is one of them.
During the Holocaust, about 11 million people were murdered by the Nazi regime, approximately six million of which were Jewish people. Adolf Hitler remains one of the world's most dangerous dictators.
Several historians theorize that Hitler’s anti-Semitism branched from his search for a scapegoat after Germany’s loss in World War I.
His hatred was not only for the Jews though; it is key to remember that many other groups were hated and murdered during the Holocaust. These include Roma (gypsies), people with disabilities, homosexuals, political and religious opponents, Jehovah’s Witnesses and anyone who posed a threat to Hitler’s conquest.
In the 12-year duration of the Holocaust, Hitler tortured, murdered and left millions scarred.
The conference organizers said they feel it is important that students seek to have a better understanding of major historical events like the Holocaust in order to be better rounded. Holocaust studies encourage students to step outside of their comfort zone and explore the world around them, including learning about the Holocaust.
Weinberg says there were so many lives lost that it is hard to have an exact number.
“There will always be questions,” Weinberg says.
We will never know the exact reasons for the hatred that Hitler had against certain groups, but we can do our best to honor and remember them, Weinberg says.
Even now, there is pain and suffering left from these horrendous events, which was heard in the voices of some survivors who spoke at the conference. The pain and agony of what these people went through is something that words cannot describe, though these survivors try in their testimony at the conference.
Several portions of the conference were free and open to the public with many students and young people in attendance, many of which were deeply touched by the speakers.
“I went to the last possible portion of the conference just to get credit for a class, and left wishing I had gone to the whole thing,” says Jessica Smith, an MTSU student.
An important aspect about the Holocaust is that it did not only affect people directly involved. The survivors and their families are still feeling the repercussions.
To get a better understanding of the amount of loss caused by the Holocaust, students at Whitwell Middle School in Whitwell, Tenn. began a project in 1998.
While studying the Holocaust, students at Whitwell were having a hard time grasping the concept of six million people, so the students thought of an excellent way to portray the loss of life during the Holocaust.
They called it “The Paper Clip Project.” In this project they collected paper clips to represent the amount of lives lost during the Holocaust. They began bringing in paper clips as well as writing letters to famous people to ask for help in the project.
The students got an overwhelming response from the project. To date, they have received 30 million paper clips as well as 30,000 letters, documents and artifacts to go along with their project.
The collection is now part of the “Children’s Holocaust Memorial,” which contains 11 million paper clips kept inside of an authentic German transport car to memorialize the lives lost during the Holocaust.
There are many lessons to be learned from the Holocaust some of which people continue to struggle with today.
To learn more about the Holocaust and for some quick facts check out the Nizkor Project, which is easily accessed through the MTSU Web site: mtsu.edu/holocaust_studies
Biennial Holocaust studies conference promotes education, remembrance
Published: Sunday, October 25, 2009
Updated: Monday, October 26, 2009
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