Do you remember your first day at school? Or what you ate last week? Our memory constantly sorts, stores and deletes information. Sometimes we remember important moments, sometimes we repress difficult ones. This applies not only to individuals, but also to society as a whole. Thus, a society's shared knowledge of its past is constantly changing. And it is shaped by each and every one of us.

This is the starting point for the e-learning format “Gedenkanstoß” (literally “Prompt to Remember”), which we developed for the Stiftung Erinnerung Verantwortung Zukunft (EVZ) (Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future). For us, this is a completely new format – challenging and exciting in terms of both methodology and content.

The result is a one-hour digital course that provides an insight into debates surrounding the culture of remembrance of National Socialism and aims to support course participants in implementing their own small remembrance and memorial projects. It is aimed at anyone interested in the topic, regardless of whether they are already active in projects or perhaps want to become involved in the future.

Why do we remember? What do we remember? Where and how do we remember? Three of the four modules in the course address these and other questions. In the first module, we ask: What is remembrance culture and why is it so important? What motivates people to engage with the memory of National Socialism and what is the purpose of remembrance?

The second module focuses on topics and gaps in the reappraisal of Nazi injustice in Germany. Finally, the third module deals with places and forms of remembrance. Here we take a critical look at memorials, stumbling stones and commemorative plaques. What effect do they have on their audience? How do they encourage people to engage with remembrance? Who are they addressing and who is not being considered?

In addition to providing space for reflection on these questions, the course also offers practical insights into projects funded by the EVZ Foundation as part of its educational agenda on Nazi injustice. We interviewed six of these projects for the course. They provide insights into their work and share practical tips.

We also take a look at society through the Gedenkanstoß MEMO study. It builds on other MEMO studies that examined how people in Germany think about remembering National Socialism and other topics. But that's not all: participants can expect highlights on important topics in remembrance culture, facts, further links and much more.

And most importantly – space for your own ideas! The course dedicates an entire module to these ideas. In addition to specific instructions for biographical and research work, the fourth module also provides supporting information on how to create your own small sketch of ideas.

Sounds interesting? Then take a look! Simply register at https://academy.stiftung-evz.de/ui/index# and enter the code #gedenkanstoß.