Gathering of Commemoration
In the heart of Düsseldorf, a unique educational experience has been making waves. Guided by Wolfgang A. Noethen, a renowned figure in history and remembrance work, a city scavenger hunt has been engaging students in a historically significant exploration of the city's cultural and historical context, particularly its Holocaust memory and Jewish history.
The scavenger hunt, involving small brass plaques known as Stolpersteine embedded in sidewalks, serves as a poignant reminder of victims of Nazi persecution. Participants, under the guidance of Noethen, venture out to explore these memorial sites, uncovering personal stories and historical narratives that add depth to their understanding of Düsseldorf's past.
This immersive learning experience transcends the boundaries of a typical scavenger hunt. It transforms into a dynamic walking history lesson, connecting participants with personal and public acts of remembrance and mourning. The hunt becomes more than a game; it serves as a powerful tool for fostering awareness and reflection on local history.
Recently, a group of 19 students embarked on this journey, exploring Düsseldorf's old town and city center. The scavenger hunt, initially conceived by Noethen, aimed to find and identify various memorial sites throughout the city. The students were guided by their sociology teacher and were tasked with assigning and sorting the biographies of the victims.
The hunt included notable memorial sites such as the memorial stone of the largest Düsseldorf synagogue destroyed in 1938 and the stele in memory of the colored Düsseldorf tap dancer Hilarius Gilges, murdered by the National Socialists. The students also had stimulating conversations with residents of houses where Stolpersteine were laid.
The school trip was part of a project by Dieter-Forte comprehensive school in cooperation with the Mahn- and Gedenkstätte of the city of Düsseldorf. The successful collaboration between the school and the memorial site will be expanded for the coming year, as both Anna Schlieck, the head of educational work at the Mahn- und Gedenkstätte, and Noethen expressed their intention to repeat the scavenger hunt with other classes.
In these challenging times, the planned presentation in the plenary hall of the town hall had to be cancelled due to pandemic regulations. However, the spirit of the scavenger hunt lives on, reminding us of the importance of remembering victims of the Nazi era through Stolpersteine and fostering awareness and reflection on local history via an interactive cultural experience.
[1] Stolpersteine in Düsseldorf: Eine historisch bedeutsame Erfahrung (https://www.stolpersteine-duesseldorf.de/) [2] Stolpersteine in Düsseldorf: Ein historischer Spaziergang (https://www.stolpersteine-duesseldorf.de/historischer-spaziergang/) [5] Stolpersteine in Düsseldorf: Ein Mahnmal im Straßenbild (https://www.stolpersteine-duesseldorf.de/mahnmal-im-straßenbild/)
Education and self-development are focal points in Düsseldorf, where a unique scavenger hunt serves as an immersive learning experience, delving into the city's Holocaust memory and Jewish history. This hunt, involving Stolpersteine, fosters awareness and reflection on local history, providing a dynamic walking history lesson that connects participants with personal and public acts of remembrance.
