Seminar for Teachers and “Tkuma” Institute Staff in Berlin

May 18 – 23, 2015 “Tkuma” Institute in cooperation with Jewish Museum Berlin conducted educational seminar for teachers and Institute research associates. The seminar was conducted with financial support of Conference of Jewish Material Claims Against Germany and Embassy of Federal Republic of Germany in Ukraine.

Within the framework of seminar program participants had an opportunity to visit Jewish Museum Berlin as well as its library and archive, German Historical Museum and Museum “Topography of Terror”.

Large collections of various exhibits, modern technical equipment, large number of multimedia development (installations, etc.) – this is only a partial list of what participants saw in Berlin museums. In addition, it was interesting to learn about the methodology of museum lessons. As a rule, German museums take into account the age of the visitors and, depending on that, offer special programs. For example, Jewish Museum Berlin while working with children of 1-5 classes use special computer games through which children can learn the features of Jewish history, culture and religion. Thus, children understand the topic via not studying the text, but through visualization. After each lesson there is a small debate; i.e. from the very young age children learn how to defend their opinion.

Museum “Topography of Terror” proposes interesting methodology of history studying as well. Visitors first see ordinary photos of tragic past – the rule of the Nazi regime in Germany, particularly in Berlin. Illustrative material shows various aspects of life of Germans during the 1933-1945 and in the postwar years. If this information is not enough to represent a complete historical picture, then you can go outside, and near the entrance to the museum you will see ruins of the buildings that once made up the powerful bureaucratic apparatus of Nazi Germany (and even the building of the museum is located in the former Nazi authorities).

Overall, 6-day seminar became a great opportunity to raise the level of professional knowledge and capabilities. Acquaintance the new European approaches to the design of museum exhibitions, the methods of educational programs at the museums can be used, in particular, when dealing with scientific and educational programs of “Tkuma” Institute and Museum “Jewish Memory and Holocaust in Ukraine”.