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Construction of Identity in Romania in Relation to its Past: The Case of the Shoah in History Textbooks in Secondary Education
Author(s): Wieckowski, Maria-Philippa
Date: 2016
Topics: Main Topic: Holocaust and Memorial, Holocaust Education, Schools: Seconday / High Schools, Schools: Non-Jewish
Abstract: Teaching about the Holocaust and the role of the Romanian state in these events is still a recent happening in Romania: the process has followed a tortuous path, between denial and distortion. In 2004 an official change to school syllabuses and the publication of a report by the International Commission on the Holocaust in Romania aimed to improve teaching about the Shoah in Romanian schools. This article aims to determine to what extent the national identity of Romania is built in relation to its past, especially to the Holocaust. The research focuses on four Romanian history textbooks used in the tenth class (ages sixteen to seventeen at secondary school). Our research analyses the discursive strategies used in history textbooks published since 2004. It concentrates on the roles assigned to different actors involved in these events. Who are the victims? Who are those responsible? How are their actions depicted? Are they underplayed or exaggerated?