The project REMEMCHILD focuses on giving a voice to children and women and to their experiences during and memories of wartime in Europe, especially related to the Second World War and the early postwar period.
Children formed one of the most vulnerable parts of society during the Second World War. Jewish and Roma children make up a big part of the victims of the Holocaust, children with disabilities were abused and experimented on, and children of members of the Resistance were often victims of violence. During wartime, children are often interned, displaced, orphaned, etc. They are victims, protagonists, survivors of conflicts, and their memory and agency is often forgotten when remembering the events.
During wartime, women cover several key roles. Not only many of them are victims of violence, but also Resistance fighters and combatants, sanitary and medical workers, rear-guard members, humanitarian air volunteers, mothers, protectors and carers for their children and the local communities.
Expected results
In this project, we will carry out a series of activities that target children, youth, researchers, humanitarian organisations, memorials and museums, educators, artists, and refugees (among others), to bring to the forefront the memories and experiences of women and children during the war time. Project results will include: the launch of a campaign on “walls against oblivion”, a series of workshops on the use of testimonial materials, such as children drawings and videos, as a pedagogical tool, the exhibition “Children behind the trenches”, and a final conference. The project website will be launched soon, highlighting all the news, upcoming events and activities.
Partners
The project is coordinated by UNED – Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (Madrid). Partnership: EUROCLIO, EUROM-University of Barcelona Solidarity Foundation, ICMEMO-ICOM, Peace Museum of Gernika, Fondazione Campo di Fossoli, Maison d’Izieu, University Rey Juan Carlos.
Related activities
Exhibition: Childhoods in a world at war (1939-1945)
March 5 – Abril 8, 2024 | UNED Central Library (Madrid)
Presentation on March 5, 2024 at 12 pm
From 1939 to 1945, millions of minors experienced a radical transformation of their daily lives due to the Second World War. This exhibition, also available online, offers an overview of childhood experiences in this period, aiming to underscore the significance of peace in both contemporary times and the future, drawing upon poignant narratives and real-life examples from the recent past.
The exhibition will be presented to the public on March 5 at 12 pm during the round table “Women, peace and protection of children”. Livestreaming will be available in this link. The catalogue of the exhibition can be downloaded here.
Webinar: The experience of women and children during wartime
June 8, 2023 | 4,30 pm
This roundtable organised by the European Association of History Educators (EuroClio), in the framework of the REMEMCHILD project, will reflect on the wartime experience of women and children in Europe, in particular during the Spanish Civil War, the Second World War and the wars of the 1990s in the Western Balkans.
Webinar: The Use of Video Testimonies in the Classroom
May 24, 2023 | 4 pm – 5,30 pm
The webinar organized by EUROCLIO will be facilitated by Andrea Szőnyi is the director of Hungarian educational NGO Zachor Foundation for Social Remembrance, founded in 2007. She is also the head of international education of the USC Shoah Foundation. She is the author of several multimedia and digital, testimony-based educational materials and runs educational programs including professional development programs for teachers in Hungary and abroad. She is an International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) delegate and the 2023 chair of IHRA’s Education Working Group.
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