Living History in Göteborg
In Gothenburg, Parliament's decision to start a nationwide campaign prompted an immediate reaction. Municipal funds were granted and 'Living History in Gothenburg' got off to a flying start in autumn 1998.
The main target group was pupils aged from around 11 to 18. Thousands of pupils, their teachers and parents, and citizens of Gothenburg in general have now benefited from the many different activities, based on the arts and culture, that have shown the outrages of the Holocaust in various ways. Perhaps most important of all, they have made people aware of what may happen if we are not on our guard against xenophobia and intolerance today.
Examples of activities:
- Film performances on the Living History theme within the framework of Gothenburg School Cinema.
- Open lectures at Göteborg University about Nazism during the second world war.
- Seminars at the Book and Library Fair about the Holocaust and Sweden's international stance during this period.
- A wide range of performances by free theatre, music and activity groups - many consisting of specially written material - about violence, xenophobia, morality and ethics, passivity and indifference.
- Teachers' study visits to Auschwitz and a series of seminars to precede and follow these visits.
- Summer school for young people and adults, to extend their knowledge of Gothenburg's history. Immigrant children related what they had resent, both in Swedish and in their own native languages.
- A broad publicity campaign on the theme of Living History, sponsored by the newspaper Göteborgs-Posten.
- A special portal with interesting links on the city of Gothenburg's website, www.goteborg.se
For further information:
Lotta Sundstrom, Tel: 031-61 28 26
e-mail: lotta.sundstrom@stadshuset.goteborg.se