CENTROPA ALAPÍTVÁNY
CENTROPA ALAPÍTVÁNY (Centropa) is a historical and educational institute aiming
at preserving 20th century Jewish history by collecting Jewish family stories and
photographs from Central and Eastern Europe.
Centropa partners with teachers, educational NGOs, museums as well as governmental organizations in the US, Europe, and Israel to use its stories of 20th-century Jewish life to combat antisemitism and teach civics, tolerance, ethics, and character education. Using the interviews and photographs, we produce engaging educational materials such as short films, exhibitions, podcasts, audio-walks etc., so that teachers can teach about 20th-century history from the perspective of the individual, in an interactive way students respond to. We also conduct teacher training seminars, both locally and internationally, where participants familiarize themselves with our database, and learn about the broader context of Jewish history and culture through expert lectures, walking tours, and meetings with members of the Jewish community. In Hungary, we have a network of more than 500 educators from all over the country who have attended our seminars, use our materials in their teaching, and involve their students in Centropa projects. With our educational programs we show the impact of the Hungarian Jewry on the Hungarian socio-cultural history and by showing personal stories we aim at bringing the past history closer to our audience. We believe that the successful way of combating antisemitism and reducing prejudice is to teach about cultural diversity and the common past.
In the Exhis project Centropa is spearheading the development of the educational
program.
