Holocaust history, memory and citizenship education: The case of Latvia

Abstract

This chapter explores Holocaust history education in the Republic of Latvia within the context of democratic citizenship education. Efforts to address controversial issues, closed areas, and Holocaust history can have many positive outcomes for citizenship: Students can develop their capacity to care, society can better recognise humanity’s common unity, and prejudice can be reduced. Currently, Latvia faces contemporary forms of intolerance, including homophobia, xenophobia, ethnocracy, anti-Semitism, and racism. This chapter argues that each of these prejudices is partially rooted in historical silences, which require open, thoughtful, substantive, and reflective discussions within Latvian schools.