The workshop Geschichte im Gespräch took place in Gusen-Lungitz and acted as an introduction into the principles and methods of participant centric and place specific educational work on the topics of National Socialism and the Holocaust. The workshop ranged from personal connections to the history of National Socialism and introduced a form of didactics that made reference to the immediate historical sites. Following a compact introduction to this educational approach, the next steps were personal attempts and collective reflection. The final step was then a conversation about the specific attitudes and positions that the educators that use this practice take.
This offer was aimed at persons who are interested in historic political education or already work in that area. Various facets of the history of Lungitz were explored in a series of walking tours. Wolfgang Schmutz led a tour and investigated how it was possible for a concentration camp to be built and operated in Lungitz. Andreas Haider, who grew up in the area surrounding Lungitz, focused in his tour on the influence of the Summerauerbahn on the development of the town as well as on the Nazi era of the Gusen III concentration camp. Another item on the programme included the House of Remembrance in St. Georgen/Lungitz.
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Wolfgang Schmutz programmes for participant centric and place specific learning about National Socialism. He has worked at memorial sites such as Mauthausen, Hartheim, Flossenbürg, and Dachau, and currently works for the USHMM and the Claims Conference, as well as as a lecturer for the University of Redlands. From 2020 to 2022 he was co-leading the EU-funded project MemAct.