In the fall of 2025, twenty-five history education students from the Faculty of History and Philosophy participated in a four-session workshop series focused on modernizing history education through biographical analysis. The project centered on the life stories of two Holocaust survivors, Erna Goldmann and Rosa Rosenstein, drawing on their oral history interviews recorded with Centropa.
During the introductory phase, students explored theoretical approaches to biographical research and transcribed survivor interviews. Working in small collaborative groups, participants analyzed the extensive source materials, integrated visual evidence, and developed comprehensive biographical profiles for both women, summarizing key stages of their lives—including their post-war experiences—into posters.
The final stage of the project focused on practical pedagogical application. After receiving an introduction to lesson design theory, students worked in mixed-level teams, allowing lower-semester students to benefit from the practical teaching experience of upper-semester peers. The initiative resulted in the creation of several tailored lesson plans for German schools, with the most promising approach being successfully implemented in a subsequent school workshop.