Perhaps more than any other single location, Auschwitz has become symbolic of the Holocaust experience. Although many are familiar with this place through films and the testimony of survivors, it is often as a backdrop. This series will explore the evolution of the camp, the lives of those imprisoned within it, and its liberation and aftermath as Holocaust icon.
Registration is FREE for MCHE members and $30 for non-members.
This session will look at the origins of Auschwitz. Why was this site chosen? Who were the original prisoners? What were the goals of the Nazis in 1940 when it was established?
This is the first meeting of the Spring 2021 Lunch & Learn Anatomy of Auschwitz
February 16, 12:00pm – 1:30pm via Zoom
This session looks at the expansions made to the camp and the changes it underwent as the overall purpose of the Auschwitz complex evolved. How was the landscape altered after the implementation of the Final Solution? How did it compare to other death camps that came before it? Why is it remembered so differently?
This is the second meeting of the Spring 2021 Lunch & Learn Anatomy of Auschwitz
February 23, 12:00pm – 1:30pm via Zoom
As the nature of the camp changed, so too did the type of prisoners and the harshness of life within the camp. This session looks at the experience of those who lived and died in the Auschwitz complex. It will also look at types of resistance and significant incidents of armed resistance that occurred.
This is the third meeting of the Spring 2021 Lunch & Learn Anatomy of Auschwitz
March 2, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm via Zoom
Liberation footage of Auschwitz is among the most famous of the Holocaust, yet the reality goes far beyond what was captured by Soviet cameras. This session looks at the days leading up to liberation, the death marches out of the camp, and who was left behind. Participants will unpack these now famous scenes of liberation and look at how Auschwitz became so central to Holocaust memory.
This is the fourth meeting of the Spring 2021 Lunch & Learn Anatomy of Auschwitz
March 9, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm via Zoom
In this session we will discuss the memoir by Holocaust survivor Liana Millu and relate her experience to what we have learned in the course. You will need to purchase or otherwise acquire a copy of this book, all other course materials will be provided via email.
This is the fifth and final meeting of the Spring 2021 Lunch & Learn Anatomy of Auschwitz
March 16, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm via Zoom
This program is supported, in part, by a grant from the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City.
Our mission is to teach the history of the Holocaust, applying its lessons to counter indifference, intolerance, and genocide.
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