Image: identity card of Leo Philips Leo_Philips_3_ID_19-10-1941 wikimedia
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Colloquium "Confronting the Nazi Genocide: New Directions in Holocaust Studies"
On the 7th and 8th of September I attended the Emerging Scholars Colloquium "Confronting the Nazi Genocide: New Directions in Holocaust Studies" at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana. The colloquium was presented by Taube Philanthropies, Tulane and the Jenny Craig Institute.
On the first day, we were able to explore the National WWII Museum. We started with a campus orientation and a tour provided by the researchers of the Jenny Craig institute. The museum is very impressive with beautiful and well preserved military objects and with many stories about individuals who fought in the US military during the Second World War. We ended the day with the behind-the-scenes tour of the upcoming 'Liberation Pavilion' exhibition, specifically focused on the military deaths and the victims of the Holocaust.
The colloquium took place on the second day, September 8th. The workshop was not open for public, but was participated by researchers, teachers and students of the local universities, Taube Philanthropies, Tulane, the Jenny Craig Institute and the museum staff. The panels of the colloquium were divided into four categories in which the emerging scholars were able to present their work. My panel, on locale, place and community during the Holocaust, created interesting discussions about the importance of looking beyond the contours of the nation-state and the importance of local communities during mass conflict. Other panels concerned topics such as: taking cultural approaches towards Holocaust research, including post-Holocaust opera and visual art in concentration camps; memory and education, including the responsibility of museums concerning accuracy; and archival studies, including transnational research and the use of archives.
Overall, it was very interesting to meet other researchers who work on new directions in Holocaust studies and it led to many lively, passionate and inspired discussions.
Written by Lola van der Made (PhD)