to be horrified that people are forgetting the Holocaust?

[FleurDelacoeur]

www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/study-shows-americans-are-forgetting-about-holocaust-n865396

OK, so it's an American study but 11% of all adults and 20% of millenials in the US haven't heard of the holocaust, or aren't sure whether they've heard of it or not.

Given that this is one of the most important events of the 20th century isn't this simply appalling? How can people NOT know??

I'm not aware of the curriculum in the rest of the UK but I know my secondary age kids in Scotland have learned about the Holocaust as part of a WW2 topic, and it was touched on in RE too when they learned about Judaism.

And quite frankly if it wasn't in the curriculum I'd be making sure they knew about it as it's such an important event which should never be forgotten.

It was a European disaster nearly 3/4 of a century ago. Its inevitable it will fade into history. I am not surprised other continents dont necessarily teach it at schools as they have their own historical disasters to learn about.

It will be taught in UK and EU schools for quite a few decades yet, so not sure what you are worried about?

It reminds me that we owe it to others to ensure they do know about it. Also about the other genocides of the 20th century.

YANBU and it is not inevitable it will fade into history. Its not very long ago at all.

fleur

Its really American opinions you need as its taught in British schools

But i dont think it will be forgotten in Europe for a very long time if ever

Same applies for the horrors of Indian / Pakistan partition, of the ethnic cleansing in Eastern Europe. The Holocaust happened a century ago, it is bound to be forgotten in favour of more recent atrocities. What makes it worthier to remember than anything else?

It was a European disaster

This seems to be a very poor choice of words. It was industrialised murder, not an unfortunate accident.

My D.C. both living in the US learned about it while at school in the U.K. however I know that several books featuring the Holocaust (including for example “the Boy in Striped Pyjamas”) are very popular and almost continually booked out of their Elementary school library.

It’s the effect of time passing.

So, OP, what do you know about the Armenian genocide?

It was only several years ago that I realised what the Holocaust was I did learn about WW2 at primary school but I’m 99.9% sure the word ‘Holocaust’ was never used or taught to us!

I'm 36 and we didn't 'do' the holocaust at school.

We didn't seem to do anything 'distasteful'. Maybe the odd beheading.

I didn't really know racism existed until I was an adult. Lived in an MC bubble. Embarrassing now I look back.

I remember when Titanic came out and loads of people didn't seem to know it was about a real event. I imagine there's loads of examples like that.

The Holocaust happened a century ago

What?!

Yes but a survey last year found that 25% of American adults thought that chocolate milk came from brown cows. These things are rarely reliable.

It was only taught in my secondary school at GCSE level which of course was optional so unless kids who didn’t take history at GCSE watched documentaries/films/read books/had well-read parents etc they wouldn’t have heard of it either.

My DF is Jewish so I learnt about it before GCSE history. We watched The Pianist and Schindler’s List together. It shouldn’t be something that ‘fades into history’. The reason we learn about that atrocity above others is because our nation was involved in bringing Hitler down. Oh and some survivors are also still alive so it’s hardly ancient history...

Actually, I don’t think those stats are particularly shocking or worrying.

89% of “adults” and 80% of millenials have heard of it.

We are talking about a nation where something like 50% believe in alien abduction & even more deny the fact of evolution.

So your “horror” is a bit OTT.

I'm American, 37 years old, and was educated there.

I was taught about the Holocaust in great detail starting in 6th grade (11/12 years old), at a public/government funded school.

I'm sure it's still part of the curriculum, the millenials were just too busy taking selfies in class to be bothered with learning about mundane things like the attempted extermination of Jewish people.

The Holocaust happened a century ago

Not unless we're suddenly in 2030s to 2040s it didn't.

I am a bit horrified by some of the posts here. Its important to know and understand history so we can learn from it.

I do think history is not taught well in Beitish schools. I am not British and when I first came to study in Britain I was shocked by how little history British students seem to know. Us overseas students seemed to generally know more about even British history and this was at a very top university. Same goes for geography.

It doesn't surprise me. There are many, many atrocities in the history of time that many of us have never heard of.

We weren't taught anything about WW1 or WW2 at school, either primary or secondary. UK. From the years of early nineties to mid two thousands, my schooling.

Fully support efforts to educate people about historical events, but it doesn't surprise me that some don't know about it if they weren't taught about it and family aren't talking about it. We're reaching a stage where pretty soon most of the people actually alive during the years of the holocaust will have died from old age. Once the living no longer have parents or grandparents who were somehow involved or discuss it, I imagine it will become even lesser known.

It shouldn’t be forgotten. Most specifically - people need to know what circumstances led to it happening. Nor should the fact there have been more instances of holocaust and ethnic cleansing of people of different faiths and cultures - and some happening right now. History has a hideous habit of repeating itself.

What makes it worthier to remember than anything else?

Because it was the one where more people died?
Not to mention how systematic and planned it was.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_genocides_by_death_toll

@DuchyDuke the holocaust gave rise to several extremely important international treaties and charters on war crimes, human rights, genocide, refugees and also the creation of Israel. As far as genocides go it has had the most universal aftereffects.

Those not learning about it at school what on earth discussions did you have with parents? My parents taught me about the holocaust when I was 9.

We took ours to the imperial war museum although there are age restrictions on the holicaust area.

Education isn’t all about school. Education about racism, hatred, tolerance and acceptance should start in thr home.

It’s still in living memory!!! My mum remembers seeing the horror of Belsan she’s in her 80s.

Dutchy it is different in its complete ruthless, cold blooded and efficient extermination of not just Jews but disabled, gypsies, anyone deemed not acceptable.

It will not be forgotten and it never should be.

Lweji Thanks for the link. Some good reading for me to look into.

I haven't even heard of the majority of the genocides listed on that link, even ones relatively recently occurring. So doesn't surprise me other people haven't heard of ones I do know about.

I think we should move on, we have new issues to worry about.