Language:
English
Year of publication:
2022
Titel der Quelle:
Tour Guides at Memorial Sites and Holocaust Museums
Angaben zur Quelle:
(2022) 213-231
Keywords:
South African Holocaust & Genocide Foundation
;
Tour guides (Persons)
;
Holocaust memorials
;
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) Commemoration
;
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) Museums
Abstract:
The Durban Holocaust and Genocide Centre (DHGC) is one of three South African Holocaust centres under the auspices of the South African Holocaust and Genocide Foundation (SAHGF). The rationale behind teaching the Holocaust in post-conflict environments is that it enables a more open, objective, less emotion-filled examination of a country’s difficult past. This is certainly true for post-apartheid, post-colonial South Africa, where violence, intimidation, fear, discrimination, xenophobia, and murder are seared into the country’s collective consciousness in both the past and the present. In this paper, we turn our attention to the narrative of the museum educators, who are responsible for guiding all visitors through the permanent exhibition at the DHGC. They are the fulcrum of the educational programme, determining its success or failure. Who are these museum educators, why do they volunteer, how do they acquire their content knowledge and pedagogy, and what do their personal stories mean to their guiding? These questions are answered with the help of qualitative interviews. The paper provides insight into the social background and qualifications of the guides; further, it points to challenges when guiding visitors concerning their languages, their interests in politics, and their schedules on site.
URL:
Locate this publication in Israeli libraries
Permalink
