According to the UNHCR, there are currently an estimated 42 Mio refugees worldwide. These include those persons who are currently internally displaced, those who have crossed a border and applied for asylum, and those who have been granted refugee status. In 1951, the Geneva Convention defined refugees as persons who, due to violence, persecution, or war, are forced to leave their home (cf. Angenendt 1999: 19). Refugees are no new phenomena; they have existed for thousands of years.
To this day, refugee situations are born out of conflict and disaster, and though societies change in structure and convictions, the `refugee question` remains. This thesis shall explore the ways in which the autobiography of Alice Dreifuß Goldstein, a German Jewish refugee from Kenzingen who immigrated to the USA in 1939, can raise pupils` awareness of the needs of refugees in Freiburg in Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, today.
Motivation
In May 2008, there were serious xenophobic attacks all over South Africa. Starting in Johannesburg’s township of Alexandra, the violence spread rapidly to other parts of the country. By the end of the month, thousands had lost their homes and businesses through arson and theft. Many of them had become victims of heavy beatings, rape, or murder. The Central Methodist Church, situated in downtown Johannesburg, was overcrowded with people. It gave shelter to over 2000 refugees, mostly Zimbabweans. To this day (more than five years later), many of them still live there. They sleep on the stairs and benches of the church building. In response, the government organised buses that would transport thousands of immigrants back to their countries of origin; countries they had fled mostly due to civil war or tyrannical governments.
Of course, these shippings were said to be, first and foremost, for the people’s protection. The attackers, however, must have seen these deportations as a great success. Only a few days earlier, warning signs had been put up all over the city that urged foreigners to leave the country by Friday, 23 May 2008, or else they would all be killed. Among the countries listed were Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Somalia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and even China. The accusations brought against them were that they were taking away jobs, housing, and even women, from South Africans and, thus, were the reason for their misery and poverty.
I did not go to school that day fearing I could get caught up in the middle of an attack. [...]
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
- ABSTRACT
- INTRODUCTION
- I CONTENT ANALYSIS: HISTORICAL AND THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS
- WORKING WITH BIOGRAPHICAL LITERATURE IN THE BILINGUAL HISTORY CLASSROOM
- DEFINING THE TERM 'AUTOBIOGRAPHY'
- A SUMMARY OF GOLDSTEIN'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY
- CRITERIA FOR THE USE OF AUTOBIOGRAPHIES IN THE BILINGUAL HISTORY CLASSROOM
- First Criterion: Promote Critical Historical Awareness
- Second Criterion: Stimulate Curiosity and Motivation
- Goldstein's Autobiography and the Significance of Detail
- DIDACTICAL ANALYSIS
- THE NEED FOR DIDACTICAL REDUCTION
- REASONS FOR LEAVING - FOUR MAJOR REFUGEE WAVES
- Hitler's Rise to Power, 1933: The First Refugee Wave from Nazi Germany
- Systematic Marginalisation and Exclusion from Society, 1934-1935: The Second and Third Refugee Waves from Nazi Germany
- The Night of Broken Glass, November 1938: The Fourth Refugee Wave from Germany
- THE ALLIES' RESPONSE TO GERMAN JEWISH REFUGEES WITH FOCUS ON THE USA
- CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE: THE ROSENSTRAẞE PROTEST
- REFUGEES IN GERMANY TODAY
- Four Prejudices against Refugees
- Aid Organisations in Freiburg in Breisgau
- II A BILINGUAL HISTORY PROJECT ON ALICE (DREIFUẞ) GOLDSTEIN'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY >ORDINARY PEOPLE, TURBULENT TIMES<
- PREPARATIONS AND INITIAL SITUATION
- EIGHT CHARACTERISTICS OF PROJECT WORK AND THEIR PRACTICAL APPLICATION
- LESSON DESCRIPTIONS AND REFLECTIONS
- DAY 1 (MONDAY)
- Lesson 1 (Introduction to the Setting)
- Lessons 2-3 (Introduction to the Characters)
- Lesson 4 (History as Storytelling)
- DAY 2 (TUESDAY)
- Lesson 5 (Nora Waln's Account)
- Lesson 6 (Introduction to the Allies)
- DAY 3 (THURSDAY)
- Lesson 7 (WebQuest-based Group Work, Part 1)
- DAY 4 (FRIDAY)
- Lessons 8-10 (WebQuest-based Group Work, Part 2, and Presentations)
- DAY 5 (MONDAY)
- Lesson 11 (Link to Refugees Today)
- Lessons 12-13 (Meeting the Expert)
- Lesson 14 (Project Evaluation and Personal Feedback)
- CONCLUSION
- BIBLIOGRAPHY
- MONOGRAPHS
- JOURNALS AND MAGAZINE ARTICLES
- COLLECTED EDITIONS
- MONOGRAPHS WITH EDITOR
- ARTICLES FROM COLLECTED EDITIONS
- WRITTEN ONLINE SOURCES
- AUDIO-VISUAL SOURCES
- ONLINE DATABASES
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper aims to explore the use of Alice Dreifuß Goldstein's autobiography in the bilingual history classroom to raise pupils' awareness of the needs of refugees in Freiburg in Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, today. The text analyzes the theoretical and historical foundations of using biographical literature in history education, examines the specific challenges and opportunities presented by Goldstein's autobiography, and provides a detailed lesson plan for a bilingual history project focused on her story.- The role of autobiography in historical education
- The importance of critical historical awareness
- The significance of individual stories and narratives in understanding larger historical events
- The challenges and opportunities of teaching about refugees in a multicultural context
- The development of effective teaching strategies for raising pupils' awareness of the needs of refugees
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The first chapter of this paper examines the theoretical and historical foundations for using biographical literature in the bilingual history classroom. It defines the term "autobiography," provides a summary of Goldstein's autobiography, and identifies criteria for using autobiographies in history education. The chapter focuses on the importance of promoting critical historical awareness and stimulating curiosity and motivation among students. The second chapter delves into the didactical analysis of the topic of refugee migration. It discusses the need for didactical reduction when teaching about complex historical events, examines the reasons for the four major refugee waves from Nazi Germany, and explores the Allies' response to German Jewish refugees, particularly focusing on the USA. The chapter concludes by examining the situation of refugees in Germany today, highlighting common prejudices against refugees and the role of aid organizations in Freiburg in Breisgau. The third chapter focuses on a bilingual history project based on Alice Dreifuß Goldstein's autobiography. It outlines the preparations and initial situation for the project, describes the eight characteristics of project work and their practical application, and provides detailed lesson descriptions and reflections for each day of the project. The project aims to provide students with a concrete experience of historical learning through individual stories and narratives.Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This work focuses on the intersection of history, education, and the refugee experience. Key terms include: autobiography, bilingual history, critical historical awareness, didactical analysis, refugee waves, Nazi Germany, the Allies, refugees in Germany, prejudice, aid organizations, project work, lesson plans, and raising awareness.- Quote paper
- Susanna Harper (Author), 2013, Raising Pupils' Awareness of the Needs of Refugees in Baden-Württemberg Today, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/264556
