A Human Geography Approach
Why Geography?
It is important that both teachers and students understand the Holocaust as a sum of many moving parts. While it is important to understand the historical events behind the Holocaust, understanding the cultural, spatial, and psychological aspects as well will build a fuller picture. Understanding the geography of the Holocaust helps us reckon with the breadth of this event—it also helps us understand the diversity of Holocaust experiences. Urban and rural Jews did not have the same experiences: survivorship and resistance looked different depending on geography, as did perpetration and complicity. It is easy to essentialize and simplify the Holocaust, but we should aim for students to understand that the Holocaust is not just one narrative, rather a collection of many. Using geography as a lens, we can begin to understand the complexity and variability of Holocaust experience.
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to:
- understand how geography influences the consequences of significant events.
- reflect on the different contexts and influences that created different experiences for those who lived through the Holocaust.
- read and analyze maps related to the Holocaust.
Guiding Questions
- How was the Holocaust enacted differently by region? How was it experienced differently?
- In what ways has Nico and Rolf Kamp’s testimony been shaped by place?
