Vanishing Points

Origin

The project “Vanishing Points” or “Fluchtpunkte” at ERINNERN:AT is responsible for the management of this learning material.

The material was created in a collaboration between different organizations and projects. It was developed by erinnern.at in cooperation with the Anne Frank Zentrum Berlin, PROSA – Projekt Schule für Alle!, and the Center for Humanistic Education in Lochamai HaGetaot. The team, led by Axel Schacht, included researchers and educators who worked on the material in various project phases and tested it with school classes and youth.

The material was developed within the framework of the funding program “Migration and Memory Culture” by the “Erinnerung, Verantwortung und Zukunft” Foundation. This foundation was established in 2000, initially to provide symbolic compensation to former forced labourers during World War II and later transitioned into a funding foundation, working to uphold the memory of the victims of National Socialism and promote democratic and egalitarian coexistence.

The creation of this material reflects the foundation’s commitment to supporting projects that critically engage with history and respond to the changing dynamics of society, including digitization, migration, and transnationality. The collaboration between different organizations and the involvement of researchers and educators ensure a comprehensive and well-tested educational resource.

Aims

The aim of this learning material is to support conversations in both formal and non-formal educational settings about the aforementioned themes, without necessarily resolving all the contradictions. The material focuses on the life stories of individuals, emphasizing multiple perspectives and countering simplified interpretations.

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The project is designed to support educators and teachers in delivering lessons and engaging students in discussions about the historical and current relationships between these regions. It utilizes life stories and personal experiences as the basis for exploring structural and political processes, identity images, and narratives. By presenting diverse perspectives and promoting critical thinking, the project aims to facilitate a nuanced understanding of complex historical interrelationships and encourage the development of transcultural competence.

The learning material, created as part of the “Vanishing Points” project, focuses on the themes of flight and migration in the context of German and Austrian history intertwined with the history of the Arab-Jewish Middle East. The material consists of six learning modules that aim to provide a didactic framework for teachers and educators to engage students, particularly those aged 14 and above, in exploring these topics.

The core of the learning material is based on the life stories of individuals who have experienced flight and migration. These stories serve as a basis for understanding the historical and current relationships between different regions and communities. The material encourages a multidimensional perspective by presenting complex, contradictory, and contentious situations, allowing learners to engage with different experiences, social frameworks, and conflicting narratives.

The material also contextualizes the life stories with fact boxes and provides suggested learning arrangements for teachers. It emphasizes the importance of visualizing and processing different perspectives, inviting learners to relate to the stories and critically reflect on historical and political processes, identity, and narratives. The goal is to promote a nuanced understanding of history, recognizing complexity, ambivalences, and the ongoing impact of historical events.

Additionally, the material includes a glossary with short articles, in-depth scientific articles, and other thematically relevant educational materials and handouts. These supplementary resources aim to support and expand the learning experience by providing additional information and perspectives.