The Holocaust — the persecution and murder of approximately six million Jews by Nazi Germany and its collaborators between 1933 and 1945 — was one of the most horrific events in the history of the world. The atrocities committed in the heart of the twentieth-century threw into question the very notion of human progress, and continue to haunt humanity to this day. We have all seen images and films about the Holocaust, or have read literature and diaries from the time, but mostly we shy away from confronting the bigger questions that the Holocaust forces us to ask about ourselves and our history. This course will better equip students with the skills and knowledge they need to interpret representations of the Holocaust by grounding students with the factual basis on which these representations are made. Students will learn to interpret some of the most important historical facts about the Holocaust, to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of contending explanations regarding the causes and effects of the Holocaust, and to contextualize the Holocaust.

Course Requirements:

Students will be evaluated on the basis of quizzes, writing assignments, and exams.

Intended Audience:

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Class Format:

The course will be structured as a lecture with discussions.