During the webinar, participants explored the topic of Holocaust education and how to counter its denial and distortion. The meeting focused on the role of memory, education, and modern technology in popularising historical knowledge and countering disinformation.  

Expanding the Holocaust Narrative 

Marlene Wöckinger, historian and educator at the Mauthausen Memorial, presented the changing approach to teaching about the Holocaust. She emphasised the need to expand the Holocaust narrative—not only to the victims but also to the perpetrators, the witnesses, and the social mechanisms that made the genocide possible. She also pointed out the importance of education about the attitude of passive witnesses (‘bystander approach’) and their influence on the course of historical events.  

The Digital Age: opportunities and challenges in countering disinformation 

The speaker highlighted the challenges of history education in an era of increasing disinformation and the influence of social media, such as TikTok, on the perception of history. She talked about her experience of running the official account of the Mauthausen Memorial on TikTok and how digital platforms can serve to both educate and spread historical manipulation.  

“In the digital age, we need to teach the use of these tools to both youth and adults, as each can become a target for disinformation.”

Participants in the webinar also analysed how historical narratives are used in contemporary politics—including in the context of the war in Ukraine and debates about the Holocaust.  

How to counter historical manipulation?

Contemporary forms of historical distortion were addressed, including neo-Nazi symbolism and strategies used for disinformation in digital spaces.  

At the end of the meeting, methods for engaging history teaching in a way that is critical and accessible to younger generations were presented. The speaker encouraged the use of educational materials created by memory institutions and to sensitise students to the mechanisms of historical manipulation and the importance of media education.  

The webinar emphasised the importance of a reliable and responsible approach to history, based on facts, analysis of sources, and a broad view of the history of the Holocaust.

Recording from the webinar „Holocaust denial and distortion in times of the 80th Anniversary of Auschwitz Liberation.” from the 23 January 2025