March 22, 2005 –Duke University History Professor Claudia Koonz, who has studied gender and “ordinary people” in Nazi Germany, will deliver the keynote address for this year’s Days of Remembrance at the University of Utah. The annual events precede the national Holocaust Remembrance Day, May 5, and the Utah State Holocaust Remembrance Day, May 6, and commemorate the millions of victims of the Holocaust. All events are free and open to the public, with the exception of the workshop taken for credit.
Koonz, who has also studied various gender issues, will present “Making Racism Respectable: The Nazi Regime and Ordinary Germans.” The author of several publications on various aspects of Nazi Germany, Koonz will speak on Thursday, April 14, at 7 p.m., in the Languages & Communication Building (LNCO), room 1110. The event is free and open to the public.
“The Eternal Jew,” a 1940 Nazi propaganda film, will be screened and discussed on Tuesday, April 12, at 7 p.m., in the Olpin Union Theatre. The film documents dramatically the hatred of the Nazis toward the Jews. The film demonstrates what Adolf Hitler and Joseph Goebbels (Propaganda Minister) wanted the German people to associate with the word “Jew.”
“This film is a technically proficient and most shocking example of the way a genocidal mentality can be created by means of ‘reality-like’ media,” says U History Professor Ronald Smelser, who will provide context for the film and lead the discussion.
Professor Smelser will also offer a half-day workshop on the Holocaust, which will include a lecture, discussion and film clips. The workshop will be held on Wednesday, April 13, from 1 to 5 p.m., in the Mark Green Auditorium of the Francis Madsen Building (FAMB). The workshop may be taken for 1 hour of University credit (History 3910/5910) by paying through the Registrar’s Office. For more information, call 801-581-8969.
Utah’s observance of Holocaust Remembrance Day will be held on May 6, at Noon, in the Main Auditorium of the Salt Lake City Library, 210 E. 400 S. Holocaust Day will be marked by activities, including the governor’s proclamation and the lighting of a candle by a Holocaust survivor. For details, contact Deborah Winkler at 801-272-8522.
Throughout the month of April, yellow cloth Stars of David will be available for University of Utah faculty, staff and students as well as community members to wear in order to raise awareness of the identity badges that were imposed on Jews throughout history. In Nazi-occupied Denmark, 300,000 replicas of the yellow, six-pointed star were produced by the Dutch underground and inscribed with the motto, “Jews and non-Jews stand united in their struggle.” Many Dutch citizens wore these in solidarity with the victims and in defiance of the Nazis. The cloth stars distributed on campus carry a similar message. The yellow Jewish Stars are available from the Office of the Associate Vice President for Diversity, 204 Park Building, 201 Presidents Circle (801-581-7569).
The University of Utah Days of Remembrance events are sponsored by U of U Office of the Associate Vice President for Diversity and supported by the University Department of History, the United Jewish Federation of Utah, the Obert C. and Grace A. Tanner Humanities Center and University Marketing & Communications. For more information on Days of Remembrance activities, visit www.diversity.utah.edu/remembrance.html or call 801-581-7560.