In March 2026, a group of 27 students from the Faculty of Teacher Education at the University of Zagreb participated in a series of three educational workshops focused on the Holocaust and Holocaust commemoration in Croatia. The workshops were led by faculty members from the University of Zagreb alongside an educator from HERMES.
The first session introduced participants to the historical context of the Holocaust and commemoration efforts in Croatia, utilizing Centropa’s archival resources. Through personal narratives, archival photographs, and video materials, students explored the life stories of two Croatian Holocaust survivors, Elvira Kohn and Rifka Vostrel, examining themes of human resilience and female perspectives during and after the Second World War.
Subsequent sessions shifted toward interactive material creation. During the second workshop, students focused on lesson plan development tailored to the Croatian school system. The third session centered on exhibition poster creation and editing.
The initiative successfully enhanced future educators' knowledge and motivation, resulting in student-produced educational materials designed to modernize Holocaust education in Croatian schools.