Students from Mönchengladbach explore historical responsibility in Ysselsteyn

Students from Mönchengladbach explore historical responsibility in Ysselsteyn

On January 22, 2025, the 10 classes of the Hugo-Junkers-Gymnasium Mönchengladbach took on a significant memorial trip that dealt with the history of the Second World War and the Holocaust. This initiative was supported by the Federal Foreign Office and the Volksbund Deutsche Wargräberfürsorge and took place in the Ysselsteyn meeting and educational institution in the Netherlands. There, the students were able to work and learn in cooperation with the same age students of Raayland College in Venray.

YSSELSTEYN, known for his German war grave, houses the graves of 31,598 people, mostly fallen Wehrmacht soldiers of the Second World War. This makes the cemetery a unique resting place for German soldiers in the Netherlands. Dutch, Polish and Russian soldiers are also buried in Ysselsteyn. Against the background of this impressive site, the students worked on workshops on the topics of war, violence and reconciliation.

insights and discussions

Under the guidance of historians and educators, the students received deeper insights into history and conducted lively discussions about historical responsibilities. These facets of dealing with the past were not only instructive, but also emotionally moving. A result of this intensive argument was a podcast that the group created on the importance of the war grave site Ysselsteyn.

The visits of important places of Nazi persecution, including the former Westerbork passage camp and the Vught concentration camp, expanded the perspective of the students and led to a new understanding of the relevance of the past for the present. There was remarkable cooperation in English between the students of both schools, funded by joint projects in mixed groups.

reflection and wishes of the participants

History teacher Viola Schmidt emphasized the importance of a common responsibility for the future, while history teacher Dimitrios Kritsimos emphasized the intensive employment of young people with the historical topic. Lara W., a participant in the trip, told about the impressive cooperation between the students from different countries and the valuable experiences that all had gained.

This trip left strong impressions and wishes for more European cooperation and the firm decision to allow "never again war" to the pupils. The experiences you have gained in Ysselsteyn and in other significant places are an important step in the direction of a reflected culture of memory and historical responsibility.