New UVic Field School Sharpens Focus On Holocaust

Twenty-three University of Victoria students are now eyewitnesses to the sights, memories and history of the Holocaust after attending the inaugural I-witness Holocaust Field School in Germany, Poland and Austria in May 2011. Launched by the Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies, the new course is the only one of its kind offered to undergraduate students at a Canadian university.

A special student-run event on July 20 at UVic will feature presentations of the student experiences using visual art and spoken word. Second-year MA student Brooke Brassard (history in art) and fourth-year undergraduate student Lauren Micaela Petersen (history) organized next week’s event.

“Art, through various mediums such as drawing, photography, literary expression and sculpture, not only functions as a tool for memorialization, but also as a form of healing and survival,” Brassard says. Petersen adds, “Our Piece is an opportunity not only for students to showcase how they creatively reflect on the course materials and trip experiences, but also as a window of opportunity through which the public may learn more about the I-witness Holocaust Field School.”

Dr. Helga Thorson, UVic professor of Germanic studies and co-founder of the field school, says, “While visiting actual sites and memorials related to the Holocaust, field school participants not only become personally invested in learning about the past, but also become focused on making the present world a better place to live.” Fellow course founder and I-witness project director Michael Gans is a UVic graduate student specializing in Holocaust studies.

Visit http://ring.uvic.ca/news/eye-history-holocaust-field-school for more information about the field school, including excerpts from the students’ blog and a collection of their photos. The next field school is in May 2012.

       Our Piece: A Creative Collection from the 2011 I-witness Holocaust Field School
       Wednesday, July 20, 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.
       Michael Audain Gallery, UVic Visual Arts Building
       Admission is free and everyone is welcome.

       All university buildings are accessible to people with differing mobility issues and
       mobility aids. UVic is also accessible by various modes of sustainable
       transportation including regional transit and cycling. For those arriving
       by car, pay parking is in effect. Maps and info are available at www.uvic.ca/maps.

       Media advisory: The four I-witness representatives are available this weekend
       by email as well as during regular business hours.
 

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