About Project
New EUROCLIO Project in the heart of Central Europe
"EUROCLIO is proud to announce the acquisition of the very promising Project "Connecting Central Europe through Local History: Innovative approaches in history education". The Project Proposal submitted was approved by the International Visegrad Fund and EUROCLIO together with Fundacja Dom Pokoju and partners from Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary will run it between September 2009 and August 2010."
Project Outline
The project aims to engage history teachers and students in learning about the "big" Central European history through exploring the "small" complex histories from the borderlands between Central European countries. A team of about 10 history educators from Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary will work together on the development of innovative educational material on a common topic in the regional history of Central Europe. As a good example to show the history of the society through various episodes of everyday life history of ordinary people “celebrations, public spaces and monuments” topics were chosen. Through the collection of family stories, photos and interviews, and the piloting of the developed materials amongst students, the partners will involve youngsters in the project. The various case studies from each country involved will be edited and combined into lesson models allowing comparative approaches. The materials will consist of ready to use lessons of 30 minutes which will be accessible online, and easy to print.
Motivation
Central Europe is home to people of diverse ethnicities. States created there in the aftermath of World War I have shifted boundaries a number of times since. The twentieth century has left its mark on personal lives of people in the borderland regions, with two world wars, occupations, forced migration and transfers between the countries, and half a century of totalitarian regimes. personal histories of the borderlands tell us a great deal about the complex history of the region and the universal elements within it.
Central European history books often appear as if the nations there lived in very different pasts. National historiographies select, interpret, highlight different events and eras, often in antagonism with each another. The diversity of voices and narratives from the borderlands highlights the need for concepts of complexity, multiperspectivity and inclusion in history education. Project participants hope the using of project approaches and materials can help teachers and students understand the past and present of their countries and the region better.
Expected Outcomes
Innovative history education: The project aims to uncover the complexities and connections of local and regional histories through a comparative approach.
Transnational cooperation: New links will be created between history educators from Central Europe through the sharing of experience and collaborative work. The project team will also be in contact with other members of the EUROCLIO international network during work meetings.
Outreach: The project website will be integrated into a wider EUROCLIO online project in order to broaden its impact. In this way it will offer possibilities of further development.
Activities
- First Project Meeting – Komárno, Slovakia
- The take-off meeting of the EUROCLIO Project ‘Connecting Central Europe Through Local History’ took place on 2-4 October, 2009 in the city of Komárno, Slovakia which borders Hungary. The Project Team including 10 history teachers, trainers and didactical experts from Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine formed quickly a very good working group and brought the project an important step forward through settling on the following overall topic: Changing Borders in Central Europe after World War II . Additionally the development of a key question is a major outcome of this initial meeting: How did the change of borders influence people’s identity in the region during that period?
A full report of the meeting is published online
Photo Gallery:
- The take-off meeting of the EUROCLIO Project ‘Connecting Central Europe Through Local History’ took place on 2-4 October, 2009 in the city of Komárno, Slovakia which borders Hungary. The Project Team including 10 history teachers, trainers and didactical experts from Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Ukraine formed quickly a very good working group and brought the project an important step forward through settling on the following overall topic: Changing Borders in Central Europe after World War II . Additionally the development of a key question is a major outcome of this initial meeting: How did the change of borders influence people’s identity in the region during that period?
- Second Project Meeting – Krzyżowa Foundation, Poland
- On 19-21 February 2010 the second Authors and Experts meeting within the Project ‘Connecting Central Europe through local history’ sponsored by the Visegrad Fund, took place. The historical surroundings of Krzyzowa Foundation with the former residence of Fieldmarschalk Vol Moltke, meeting place of the ‘Kreisau Circle’ during the Third Reich and site for the Mass of Reconciliation between Germany and Poland in 1989 - was a source of inspiration for the project team members from Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Ukraine. The team discussed the format of the final material, the collection of sources and decided to work in smaller groups on the modules ‘Celebration’, ‘Monuments’, and ‘Public Spaces’ in relation to changing borders after 1945. Some group members will develop guidelines on the critical analysis of sources and making interviews. The results of this work will be presented in Fehérvárcsurgó, Hungary during the final project meeting.
A full report of the meeting is published online
Photo Gallery:
- On 19-21 February 2010 the second Authors and Experts meeting within the Project ‘Connecting Central Europe through local history’ sponsored by the Visegrad Fund, took place. The historical surroundings of Krzyzowa Foundation with the former residence of Fieldmarschalk Vol Moltke, meeting place of the ‘Kreisau Circle’ during the Third Reich and site for the Mass of Reconciliation between Germany and Poland in 1989 - was a source of inspiration for the project team members from Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Ukraine. The team discussed the format of the final material, the collection of sources and decided to work in smaller groups on the modules ‘Celebration’, ‘Monuments’, and ‘Public Spaces’ in relation to changing borders after 1945. Some group members will develop guidelines on the critical analysis of sources and making interviews. The results of this work will be presented in Fehérvárcsurgó, Hungary during the final project meeting.
- Third Project Meeting - Fehervarcsurgo, Hungary
Between June 25 and 27 2010 the project team members worked very hard together in the hospitable surroundings of the Joseph Karolyi Castle in Fehervarcsurgo, in Hungary. They discussed how a wide variety of local source materials could be tuned into engaging an educational website. With the trans-border topics: celebrations, monuments, and public spaces, the group is connecting small history with big history by relating them to the changing borders after 1945. The collaborative work led to an engaging thinking process where all understood how new educational tools as websites influence the way we want to teach about the past. The group will finalize their work during the summer holidays and after September 1st 2010 the complete results of this new example of practical EUROCLIO trans-border cooperation will be available on this website.
A report of the meeting is published online
Photo Gallery:
Project Team
- Project Co-Ordinators
Blandine Smilansky, EUROCLIO Project Manager
Blandine Smilansky began to work at Euroclio in May 2008. Previously, she studied Humanities in France, before completing a second degree in Contemporary History during a university exchange in the Charles University in Prague. She has also a MA in Cultural Management from the Institute of Political Sciences in Paris (Sciences Po). She has been working as a project manager for several projects. For instance, the EUROCLIO Annual Conference 2009 in Cyprus and currently the EUROCLIO/MATRA project Tolerance Building through History Education in Georgia.Dagmar Kusá, Bratislava International School of liberal Arts
Dagmar is a native of Slovakia where she received her M.A. in political science from the Comenius University and worked at the Slovak Helsinki Committee for human rights as a Project Coordinator. She has spent the last 8 years in Boston, Massachusetts pursuing her Ph.D. in political science at Boston University. Furthermore, she has been working at the International Center for Conciliation as the Senior Fellow and Program Director. Dagmar worked for EUROCLIO between 2008 and 2009 as a Project Manager. Currently she works at the Bratislava International School of liberal Arts as a lecturer and program coordinator.Edward Skubisz, Foundation ‘Dom Pokoju’
Since 1978, Edward Skubisz has been teaching religious studies and sociology in Holland, and has been working as a pastor in Catholic and Protestant parishes in Amsterdam and Amersfoort. In 2005, supported by the bishop and the city of Breda, Holland, and in cooperation with the city and the churches in Wrocław, Poland, he established the “House of Peace” (Dom Pokoju, www.dompokoju.org), a Centre for Civil Education and Historic Awareness in Wrocław. Also, he provides lectures about Dutch culture and language (University of Wrocław, Dutch Consulate, British International School) and trainings in social communication with mental handicapped people. Steven Stegers, EUROCLIO Project Manager
Steven studied social psychology at the University of Leiden and is currently also finalizing his MA History Thesis for History there. As part of his studies, he did research at the History Department at Georgetown University and the Library of congress in Washington DC in 2007. In 2005 and 2006, together with Jonathan Even-Zohar he co-organized two international symposia on history education in world historical perspective that were both attended by more than 100 participants. Steven works for EUROCLIO since the beginning of 2006. As project manager at EUROCLIO, he contributed to successful project proposals for the European Union, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Soros Foundation and several other grant givers. Furthermore, he contributed to the implementation of projects in more than ten mostly European countries. As part of his work, Steven participated in several professional training courses around Europe and various stakeholder meetings with the European Union and Council of Europe.
- Project Team Members
Barnabas Vajda: Association of Hungarian History Teachers in Slovakia
Since Sept 2005 Barnabas Vajda is Lecturer, History Department, University of J. Selye, Komárno, Slovakia. Main fields of interest: Post-1945 General History, Everyday Life in the Cold War, History Didactics & Methodology, Analysis of History Textbooks. From 1999-2003 he studied at Comenius University, Bratislava. He obtained his Mgr degree in History and Hungarian Language and Literature. He did his PhD studies and degree in history of society/humanities. His thesis was on the influence of Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalysis on the Austro-Hungarian Society 1900-1933.Dominik Kretschmann Kreisau Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe
Dominik Kretschmann was born 04. October 1972 in Frankfurt / Main, Germany. He studied law in Passau, Irkutsk (Russia) and Frankfurt (Oder) and graduated in May 2002. From September 2002 until July 2004 he took part in the lectureship program of the Robert Bosch Stiftung and taught German and European law at the university of Szeged (Hungary). January 2005 until November 2007 he worked for the the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen e. V. (Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations) as regional coordinator for Poland and the Czech Republic. Since November 2007 he is trainer / expert for educational questions at the memorial of the Kreisau Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe.Eva Zajícová, ASUD – Czech History Teachers Association
Eva Zajicova, from the Czech Republic, have been teaching for 26 years in history, languages and drama subjects. During these years she has been studied in Pedagogy. Since 2002 Eva has been working as a member of the ASUD board, preparing educational materials, spreading new knowledge of History teaching, organizing other education for teachers, and cooperating with historians. With her colleagues she participates in some Euroclio conferences, educational seminars abroad. She defines herself as a basic school teacher, working in a small town school, Pecky near Prague. And she feels very proud of her students who are able to work with her on the field of oral history.Iryna Kostyuk, «Nova Doba», All-Ukrainian Association of Teachers of History, Social Studies and Civic Education
Iryna Kostyuk has 25 years of teaching experience as a history teacher of secondary school, and 10 years as a history and civic education teachers’ trainer. From 1994 to 2004 she cooperated as a lecturer and teaching methods specialist with the Lviv Regional In-service Institute. In 2006 - 2007 Irina worked as the methodologist of the Lviv regional centre of evaluation of quality of education, involving the creation and review of tests for external History exams during last years.
She is active participant more than once of the EUROCLIO conferences and of the Council of Europe seminars in Ukraine on standards, curriculum, textbooks problems. Iryna Kostyuk is a co-author and educational editors of several teaching materials: “We – the citizens of Ukraine”(civic education), “We bring up a person and individual”(Human rights teaching trough history) “Me, You, He, She..” ( antidiscrimination education), the manual for teachers on the film «Spell your name» about Holocaust in Ukraine, the student textbook “History of Epoch through Eyes of an Individual. Ukraine and Europe in 1900 - 1939”.
Currently she is a member of trainers’ team of the MATRA project “Ukrainian Books for Education of Tolerance”László Beró, Association of Hungarian History Teachers
László Beró is a senior history teacher, senior English teacher at the Jokai Mor Gimnazium, Komarom since 1991. He obtained his degrees at Janus Pannonius University, Pecs 1986-1991: a History MA and an English MA. László Beró was involved in several professional organisations; Association of Hungarian Historians 1991, Association of Hungarian History Teachers 1993, Board Member 2001, Hannah Arendt Association 1997, Vice-president 2000 and EUROCLIO Board Member 2002- 2005.Miroslav Michela, Institute of History, Slovak Academy of Sciences
Miroslav Michela is a native of Slovakia; he is currently junior researcher at Institute of Historical Sciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS). He obtained his MA. (1997-2002) at the Faculty of Paedeutics of Comenius University Bratislava, department: history – civics and ethics. Michela conducted his PhD. studies (2002-2007) at the Institute of Historical Sciences of SAS, Department of Modern history. His specialization is the History of Slovakia and Central Europe in first half of 20th century; foreign policy, totalitarian propaganda, nationalism, loyalties, collective memory. Until the end of 2007 Miroslav Michela has been participating on 7 major research projects, actually working as a fellow of Center of excellence of SAS. Longer research fellowships: in Budapest and Prague (2003-2009)Monika Szurlej, Krzyzowa Foundation
Monika Szurlej was born on 28th of May 1981 in Złotoryja, Poland. She studied historical science in Wrocław and graduated in 2007 (Master). Since 2005 she is active within the volunteer program “memoria” coordinated by the Krzyżowa Foundation. Later on she proceeded the cooperation with the “memoria”-project as an assistant. Furthermore she extended her engagement by indexing the Foundations scientific library and coordinating educational projects of Krzyżowa Memorials Foundation in terms of publications, exhibitions and workshops for youngsters. Since 2008 she is responsible for the implementation of the model project “School in Krzyżowa”, which consists in historical programs addressed to youth from the regional schools via periodical workshops.Olha Pedan-Slyepukhina, «Nova Doba», All-Ukrainian Association of Teachers of History, Social Studies and Civic Education
Olha Pedan-Slyepukhina is a teacher of History, Law and Civic education for 27 years. She also works as a teachers’ trainer and participates in activities of the All-Ukrainian Association of Teachers of History, Social Studies and Civic Education «Nova Doba» for 12 years. Olha is a co-author for the educational materials on civic education “We – the citizens of Ukraine” in the framework of the international project “Education for democracy in Ukraine”. In 2003 she coordinated the project of implementation of civic education into teaching law and extracurricular activity, the head of the authors group of the textbook “Art of Living in the Community. In 2004-2009 she participated in several workshops, seminars, conferences on issues of Holocaust, history research and organization of youth expeditionary learning in Ukraine and abroad. In 2006-2008 – Internet resources expert in the European Project “Civic Education. Ukraine.” Olha works on implementation of the modern interactive methods in teaching of history and civics to foster civic values of young members of civil society. Special interest - teaching controversial issues in history.Sylvia Semmet, Verband der Geschichtslehrer Deutschlands e. V
Sylvia Semmet teaches History, English and History for bilingual classes at lower and upper secondary level at Goethe-Gymnasium Germersheim. Having been a teachers´ trainer for four years, she has also led further education courses for teachers of History. She coordinates the international relations of the German Association of History Teachers, which she also supports with translations and contributions to its nationwide magazine. She is active in border-crossing projects with History classes. She studied English and History at the University of Heidelberg, Germany and the University of Stirling, Scotland.During the General Assembly 2009 in Nikosia, Cyprus, Sylvia Semmet has been elected as the New Board EUROCLIO Member.Viliam Kratochvíl, Pedagogical Faculty, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
Since 2005, he works as external adviser at the State University Pedagogical Institute. In 1994 he began to work as a author and co-author for different books on pedagogical and didactical issues. Throughout the years he has frequently taking trips to different institute as for instance the George Eckert Institute in order to improve cooperation in history education. In 2009 and 2004 he published monographies on topics related to history education in school.Yuriy Komarov, «Nova Doba», All-Ukrainian Association of Teachers of History, Social Studies and Civic Education
Yuriy Komarov is a teacher-methodologist of History, member of the All-Ukrainian Association of Teachers of History, Social Studies and Civic Education «Nova Doba». Yuriy is a co-author for educational programs on history for secondary schools. For many years Yuriy participates in the scientific-methodological committee in the Ministry of education and science of Ukraine. He is a co-author for textbooks “World history of 1900-1945”, “European studies”, “History of Epoch by Eyes of an Individual”, “History of Kiev” and electronic manual for World history and history of Ukraine (7 grade). Yuriy published several articles on methods of teaching history in specialized magazines. He participates in numerous seminars and conferences on history in Ukraine and abroad.
