Introduction

Abstract

This article explores questions of the politics of knowledge and epistemology in relation to Holocaust education. It argues that, since knowledge is not neutral, we must be attentive to the role of ideologies in the selection and presentation of knowledge concerning the Holocaust in textbooks, in teaching, and in the media. The construction of knowledge about the Holocaust in classrooms is a relational process of meaning-making in which the cultures, perspectives and experiences of all involved come into play. For these reasons, the authors argue, Holocaust education should be considered in light of other fundamental questions, including the relationship of history, memory and identity in order to understand its actual and potential role in fostering democratic citizenship.Keywords Holocaust education Á Epistemology Á HistoryThe aim of this article is to analyze the role of epistemology within the scholarship on Holocaust education. Epistemology deals with questions of what knowledge is, what counts as knowledge, the sources of knowledge, the different kinds of knowledge, and what we can know, or the boundaries of knowledge (Wiersma and Jurs 2009). We argue that Holocaust education, which can function as a pillar of civic education, should engage with epistemological questions and their implications for teaching and learning about the Holocaust.Note: The guest-editors wish to thank Simona Popa, for all the work finding and working with reviewers, and the many hundreds of emails and hours that were involved in seeing this project through; Brigitte Deluermoz, for her work with the manuscripts; Clementina Acedo for supporting this project; the dozens of reviewers who spent hundreds of hours carefully vetting and improving the contributions, and everyone who contributed a manuscript, whether ultimately accepted or not.