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Zvonárska Street in Košice returned to the era of the Slovak State for one day

2minút, 3sekúnd

The sad events that marked the history of Europe between 1933 and 1945 were commemorated by the Department of History of the Faculty of Arts of the P. J. Šafárik University in Košice in May 5, 2016 in Zvonárska Street in Košice on the occasion of the Day of victory over fascism in the framework of a one-day event.

The teachers and students introduced this era to the visitors through an interactive exhibition that contained 12 stations, which presented period photographs, newspapers and props. The future teachers of history interpreted the exhibited sources as moderators, and they answered the questions of the visitors. They helped for their future colleagues, for teachers in practice, by presenting this sensitive topic instead of them. The topics of fascism, the Slovak State, or the holocaust are sensitive topics in the educational process, which are often misunderstood or poorly grasped especially by the younger generation, which causes indifference, insensitivity, zero sensibility in social events, or even orientation towards the extremist political parties and movements. We, the teachers of the Department of History and the students, who are future teachers of history, would like to help to the colleagues from primary and secondary schools in their hard everyday work at least to a small extent. Zvonárska Street was turned into a street from the 40s of the 20th century for one day. The concept of the exhibition and its interactive character interested mainly the students of the primary and secondary schools, who travelled to Košice even from remote towns and villages. The exhibition was visited by students from Margecany, Trebišov, or Sečovce. The visitors had a chance to experience the atmosphere of a sunny day in that time, but the grim fate of the Jewish inhabitants as well, which took place in the same time in the synagogue in front of the public.

The interactive exhibition of the Department of History with the title Who is next? aimed to demonstrate, based on the examples of the historical events, the basic forms of extremism in the social and political life.  It aimed to develop the critical thinking of young people, who had the chance to learn by the prepared activities that some of the demonstrated forms are present in our society even today. It pointed out the consequences of a seemingly innocent statement, and enabled to experience the command.

Photo: Department of History, Faculty of Arts, Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice


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