HIS 3366: The Holocaust in Prague: Jewish Experiences (2024-2025)

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The Holocaust, the murder of six million Jews by Germans and their collaborators in Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II, is one of the most central events in modern history. Studying the Holocaust in Prague offers students keen visuals and experiences to understand the magnitude and specificity of this genocide. This course focuses primarily on Jewish culture and life before, during and after WWII. We will examine anti-Semitism in Nazi ideology, life under Nazi rule, and the machinery of the modern state in implementing the murder of Jews. The main thrust of our study will consider Jewish experiences and forms of resistance inside and outside the concentration camps, and the ways the victims worked to maintain their humanity. The final week of the class highlights the struggles Jewish survivors faced as anti-Semitism remained entrenched into the early years of the Cold War, particularly in the Soviet-dominated East. Note: This study abroad course is not equivalent to HIS 3356 “The Holocaust.” Typically offered: Alternate Years.