Marta Kremličková
Prague, February 12, 2004


The project Neighbours who disappeared is an appeal for young people to participate in a search for people, who were, at a certain time, marked as unwelcome and who as a result of the Nuremberg laws became victims of the growing machinery of totality. Although the theme has mainly to do with Jewish presence in central Europe in history, such or similar situation can repeat itself even today. The project Neighbours Who Disappeared is very unique offer of an interesting direction to find local facts and stories concerned on the topic of holocaust.

One of the main features of the project Neighbours Who Disappeared is the authentic experience of remote reality through interviews with eyewitnesses, study of documents which have survived, family documents and other historical resources. Students discover forgotten or hidden places in their town or some other place which is close to them personally. They have an opportunity to read through their grandfather's diary, which portrays the disquieted and tragic years of the holocaust. They can search for their own identity and the fate of their ancestors.…The important role in this project take's motivation and a new role of the teacher - he is suppose to inspire, to motivate, to intermediate hidden places and never mentor…
He is suppose to be enthusiastic, surprised, amazed by students discoveries…

The project Neighbours Who Disappeared also provides an opportunity to learn how to confront discrimination, intolerance and anti-Semitism, both verbally and by adequate action. It could as well provide inspiration as to their methods and organization for projects dealing with other themes, especially historical or themes related to groups which are being discriminated today (migrants, asylum seekers). The outcome of the projects - experiences in the form of written reports, web pages or topics for narrative movies, anthologies are attracting the attention of broad public including parents, grand-grand parents, municipalities, other NGO etc.
Permet me quote words of president Václav Havel from the Conference Holoucaust Phenomenon in 1999:
"Hopefully, education and knowledge of history together with pure compassion and humanity will let us recognize the origins of old-new dangers and tie down the demons of hatred and evil before they grow to consume us again."