2024-11-13 20:37:00
Silences are not uncommon during this extraordinary trip in which 120 young people from the Hauts-de-France region are taking part, this Wednesday and Thursday. They are students in high schools throughout the region, proposed a work project around the Shoah from the first, and were selected for this trip which they will remember for the rest of their lives. Visit to the Krakow ghetto, Heroes’ Square and its empty chairs, a tribute to the victims yesterday morning… “ The city had 68,000 Jews before World War II. After the war, there were only 3,000 left. », whispers one of the guides accompanying the different groups of high school students.
“You never know how you will react”
Then, in the afternoon, the Auschwitz camp. “ Emotionally, we are a little prepared. But you never know how you’ll react », Breathes Louis, a student at Lavoisier high school in Auchel. The theme on which he and the five other students from his high school worked: “ From the persecution at Auschwitz. » « When we return, we will have an exhibition in our establishment “, he says. “ We are bearers of memory », smiles his history and geography teacher, who accompanies the group.
After seeing this, they are capable of rebelling against all discrimination”
« Restitution work is essentialreacts Mady Dorchies, regional advisor delegated to the duty of memory. After seeing this, they are able to rebel and lead others to protest against any discrimination. This system is essential to help all these young people understand what happened. »
Everyone was expecting this Wednesday evening, after having walked the dark alleys of the Auschwitz concentration camp, after having observed with fear the piles of hair or shoes, so monstrous that the brain cannot comprehend that they are there of what remains of countless human lives, to be shaken even more on Thursday. The morning will in fact be devoted to visiting Birkenau and its terrible installations dedicated to extermination. “ Above all, we must not forget that the singularity of the Shoah was the immediate killing », will repeat Olivier Lalieu, historian at the Shoah Memorial.
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How do you believe your experiences on this trip will impact your peers’ understanding of history and remembrance?
**Interview with Louis, a Student Participating in the Hauts-de-France Holocaust Educational Trip**
**Interviewer:** Thank you for joining us today, Louis. Can you tell us a bit about why this trip is so significant for you and your classmates?
**Louis:** Thank you for having me. This trip is very important to us because it’s a chance to witness the history of the Holocaust firsthand. We’re not just learning about it from textbooks; we’re walking through the very places where unimaginable events took place. It’s a lesson in humanity and memory that we’ll carry for the rest of our lives.
**Interviewer:** You visited the Krakow ghetto and Heroes’ Square, which features empty chairs as a memorial. What was that experience like for you?
**Louis:** It was incredibly moving. Seeing those empty chairs symbolized the absence of so many lives. The guide shared that before World War II, there were 68,000 Jews in Krakow, and after the war, only 3,000 remained. It really hit home just how devastating those events were. The silences we shared with my classmates were palpable, and we all felt a sense of responsibility to remember.
**Interviewer:** You mentioned that you felt somewhat prepared emotionally for visiting Auschwitz. How did that encounter affect you?
**Louis:** Yes, we tried to mentally prepare ourselves, but the reality was overwhelming. Standing there, surrounded by the remnants of such horror, it’s hard to put into words how it feels. I think it challenges us to confront our emotions on a deeper level. We’re working on a project about the persecution at Auschwitz, and these visits will make our exhibition so much more powerful.
**Interviewer:** What do you hope to achieve with the exhibition when you return to school?
**Louis:** We hope to share what we’ve learned and encourage our peers to understand the importance of remembrance. We want to emphasize that by learning about the past, we can speak out against discrimination and prevent such atrocities from happening again. We see ourselves as bearers of memory, and that’s a responsibility we take seriously.
**Interviewer:** Those are powerful sentiments, Louis. Thank you for your insights, and for being willing to share your experiences. It’s crucial work you and your classmates are doing.
**Louis:** Thank you for allowing me to express our experiences. I hope we can inspire others to reflect on history and its lessons.
