'To truly understand the Holocaust, we must humanise it'

FAMOUS German philosopher, Georg Wilhlem Friedrich Hegel, said that ‘we learn from history, we do not learn from history’ suggesting humanity keeps repeating it’s mistakes.

This is why I believe so strongly in holocaust education and am taking an active role in delivering it’s lessons.

This year, myself and the history department of the Hermitage Academy are hosting an event for Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27, proudly hosting one of the 70 candles designed by Sir Anish Kapoor to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and Auschwitz-Birkenau.

My fascination, knowledge and passion surrounding this dark era of history often raises disbelief amongst my peers and I am often asked where my interest stemmed from.

The answer to that question is simple: Anne Frank.

During my second year at the Hermitage I was asked to take part in an exhibition provided by the Anne Frank Foundation.

Here, I learned about Anne, the conditions she and her family were forced to live in, the situation unfolding in Germany and across Europe, concluding with how each of the hiders met their fate.

From the start I was mesmerised by Anne. I was around the same age and could relate to some of her emotions but could never imagine how she was forced to live.

My interest grew as I learned more and more about her and finally I read her diary.

It was given to me as a gift for my 14th birthday and is still the most read book I have.

I was drawn in by Anne’s words, I could not believe her maturity and the beauty in her writing when she was living through such terrible times.

After looking at various books and watching numerous documentaries I could not believe the atrocities that had occurred so, I started talking about the stories.

It was then that my passion for history became more than just an interest.

I realised the importance of telling the stories of history, especially those to do with the holocaust, and I decided that I wanted to become a history teacher.

My interest in this era has continued ever since and I am very lucky to have been presented with some amazing opportunities which have helped me to develop my knowledge.

I was fortunate enough to visit the Anne Frank House in 2011 but, in 2013, I fulfilled a long awaited ambition.

I visited Auschwitz through the Holocaust Educational Trust’s Lessons from Auschwitz programme where I attended two seminars, visited Auschwitz and Auschwitz-Birkenau and was then presented with the title of an ambassador for the trust on behalf of the work I had done in my next steps project.

After reading and learning so much about this infamous place I thought I would have been prepared for what I would witness.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Standing in a room with a display full of hair that had been removed from prisoners on arrival and would later be made into the garments that prisoners wore, seeing the suitcases and shoes that each had a story to tell moved me more than words can describe.

The exhibit that affected me the most was a tiny glass cabinet containing a toddlers coat, shoes and doll, forcing me to remember that one million innocent children became victims of the holocaust.

To truly understand the holocaust we must humanise it.

Often we recall the statistic that six million Jews were murdered but we often forget, every single one of those six million were individuals with jobs, homes and families, not much different from yourself.

If we just remember the statistic rather than the individual story are we really any better than the SS men that assigned a prisoner a number and stripped them of their identity?

I try to pass on the lessons I learned such as tolerance and preventing prejudice as well as to stop being a bystander.

The holocaust initially started out as the final solution of the Jewish question but my trip highlighted that it was also political prisoners, communists, homosexuals, Jehovah witnesses, travellers as well as the mentally and physically disabled who were made victims.

Why? Because they were different.

Difference is diversity and diversity is what makes the world interesting.

It should be celebrated, not feared.

I am greatly honoured to be an ambassador for the Holocaust Educational Trust and I wanted to commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day this year as it is highly significant.

It was my motivation behind applying for the candle.

With the help of some sixth form students, the history department and a very enthusiastic drama cast, I have been able to prepare an event that will educate a wide audience and hopefully inspire students to support holocaust education.

This year’s theme for the day is ‘keeping the memory alive’ and to do this we are displaying a twenty minute performance of ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’, a piece that I directed and edited for my extended project qualification and I am overjoyed to be revamping, as well as a presentation from two sixth form students who completed the Auschwitz programme last year, concluding with a commemorative assembly where our candle will be lit by our leading Durham County Councillor, Simon Henig.

I want to promote Holocaust education in an attempt to prevent such atrocities happening again.

Genocides have existed since the holocaust and prove our German philosopher’s theory right: we have not learned from history.