Holocaust Timeline
Teacher’s Handbook
Holocaust Educational Trust
of Ireland
TIMELINE OF THE HOLOCAUST
and TEACHER’S HANDBOOK
This Holocaust Timeline is designed to give an overview of the Nazi Holocaust in Europe, 1933-1945. It also
prompts us to consider the consequences of the Holocaust and its relevance in our world today. It is
accompanied by a teacher’s handbook.
The pages of the Timeline take the form of a concertina-book which can be opened out and attached to the wall
or stretched on the classroom floor, thus giving a visual overview of the timeframe of the Holocaust. Apart from
the first two introductory pages, Before the Holocaust and the Sequence of Events, each page represents a
single year which may be studied separately or as part of the whole. Each bullet-point on the individual pages
may serve as a single lesson-topic or as part of the study of one particular year.
The Teacher’s Handbook has samples of: activities, special topics and lesson extenders, stimulus material,
projects, questions and answers. There are extracts from personal diaries. Many of these prompt reflection. All
are designed to impart knowledge, develop skills, and consider attitudes. Teachers are urged to develop further
lessons on particular topics and to encourage their students to research and find out more. Suggested books,
DVDs and websites are also included.
Studying the Holocaust is interdisciplinary, there is a lot of overlap. Teachers and students from disparate areas
will find connections whether they are studying History, Religion, CSPE (Civic, Social and Political Education),
English, Art, Drama, Law, Human Rights, Sociology, Anthropology, Media Studies, and many other subjects.
This Holocaust Timeline and Teacher’s Handbook are designed to prompt students to:
n Explore their own attitudes and consider their own experiences about prejudice and bigotry as well as
tolerance, respect and integration
n Examine their roles and responsibilities regarding ethnic, racial, and religious bias
n Think critically about attitudes and acts of prejudice, discrimination, violence and genocide
n Learn that violence and genocide begin with attitudes of hate and bigotry
n Reflect on the consequences of the Holocaust and their relevance in our world today
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PYRAMID OF HATE
15
KRISTALLNACHT – The Night of Broken Glass
Age 12+
who
what
effects
where
Lesson plan (History, Geography +)
why
when
Describe events that led up to Kristallnacht: the mounting antisemitism,
Jewish boycotts, gradual exclusion of Jews from all areas of work,
professions, academia and public places.
The spark that ignited the night of nationwide violence (pogrom) against the Jews of Germany and Austria.
Kristallnacht was mostly carried out by Hitler Youth and Nazi thugs while the local citizens watched without
lifting a hand or raising an eyebrow.
n Kristallnacht resulted in huge damage to Jewish synagogues, schools, houses and business property. 91
Jews were murdered and nearly 30,000 were thrown into concentration camps. The Jewish communities
were made to pay for the damage.
n Thousands of Jews fled Germany and Austria.
n 10,000 Jewish children from Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia found refuge in Britain via the
Kindertransports.
Courtesy of Imperial War
Museum
Individual activity (English +)
Write an essay or a poem conveying the personal fear and general destruction of the event called Kristallnacht
Check that dates and details are correct
Classroom activity (RE, CSPE)
Discuss ways to commemorate Kristallnacht?
In which countries is it particularly remembered?
Reflection (CSPE +)
What should we do in our countries today if we were to witness a riot directed against one group of people?
What could we do?
Find out more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/kristallnacht
20
Badges of Hate
Jews who were in
concentration camps
often wore yellow
triangles like this one
marked with a ‘U’
indicating that the
prisoner who wore it
was from Hungary.
The yellow Star
of David
imprinted with
the word ‘Juif’ –
the French word
for ‘Jew’ – is
typical of the
badges the Nazis
forced Jews
to wear.
Jews also wore
Star of David
armbands.
This patch identified
a Polish person
living under
Nazi control.
Jehovah’s
Witnesses,
whose religion
prevented them
from swearing an
oath of loyalty to
Hitler, had to
wear purple
triangles.
Black triangles were
worn by those
classified as
‘antisocial’ including
Gypsies, lesbians and
prostitutes.
Pink triangles
were for
homosexuals and
those accused of
homosexual acts.
Criminals wore
green triangles.
Political prisoners
wore red triangles.
This armband
was worn by a
labour camp
prisoner.
Markings used by the Nazis to identify their victims
31
USHMM
COMMEMORATION
Invite your class, their year, or the whole school to organise and participate in a Holocaust Memorial Day
commemoration. It can take a very simple format such as reciting a poem or lighting a candle, to arranging
readings, images and music or poetry at a special ceremony. Some schools like to arrange an exhibition, others
like to involve the wider community. Remembering the Holocaust is important, even just standing in a circle and
holding hands for one minute of silence, can be powerful and moving.
The Holocaust Educational Trust of Ireland helps teachers and students with all aspects of their work on the
Holocaust. The Trust provides accurate information, arranges visits of Holocaust survivors to schools and
guidance in organising a Holocaust memorial commemoration. Yad Vashem and the Task Force on
International Cooperation on Holocaust Education Remembrance and Research also produce comprehensive
guidelines and we are all there and willing to help.
n Find out what other ways to commemorate the Holocaust
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