From 10 to 13 May 2024 the Weisse Rose Stiftung e.V. hosted the third edition of the “Resistance Through Their Eyes” youth event at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) in Munich. More than 100 students from four different schools participated in various workshops teaching them about stories of resistance during the Second World War.
Coordinated by the LRE Foundation and funded by the European Union, Resistance Through Their Eyes is a collaborative project that aims to broaden a multi-perspective, transnational understanding of the theme of resistance during the Second World War. Alongside the LRE Foundation, key partners including the Milan Municipality (Italy), the Institute Ferruccio Parri (Italy), the Resistance Museum Amsterdam (The Netherlands), The White Rose Foundation (Germany) and the Home Army Museum Krakow (Poland), have come together to bring this initiative to life.
On Wednesday, 15 May 2024, LMU Professor Michele Barricelli gave a public lecture on resistance to National Socialism as a historical root of Europe. The lecture was followed by a panel discussion introduced by Dr. Hildegard Kronawitter, featuring Stefanie Fehlhammer, Dr. Edith Koller and Jos Sinnema and moderated by Isabella Schmid. The discussion focussed on the exhibition “Resistance Through Their Eyes” which was displayed at the university from May 4 to June 20, 2024, and will be shown from October 13, 2024, to April 21, 2025, at the Badehaus Memorial Site in Upper Bavaria. The exhibition portrays 16 individuals from the Netherlands, Poland, Italy, and Germany who resisted the National Socialist regime.
The nephew of White Rose member Alexander Schmorell, Markus Schmorell, and the grandson of Professor Kurt Huber, Stephan Weiß, were present during the discussion. Another participant was Mirosław Kosior whose father Henryk Kosior is one of the exhibition’s protagonists. A more detailed version of the exhibition containing 32 biographies can be viewed online by anyone wishing to find out more about people’s resistance during the Second World War.
“These kinds of events are extremely necessary and impactful, and having the family members of the exhibitions’ protagonists present gave the participants the opportunity to immerse themselves even deeper into their stories.” says Joanna Roman, Project Manager at the LRE Foundation. “The youth event in Munich serves as a great example of what can be done in the remembrance sector by organising meetings with people who are personally involved in the topic and with an audience that craves this type of content.”
By illustrating different perspectives of real-life war experiences, young people are encouraged to take a stand against the oppression of minorities and injustices in society. “Resistance Through Their Eyes” aims to promote civil courage, personal responsibility and democratic awareness and fosters a young generation that stands for tolerance, acceptance of others and respect for human rights.
The fourth and last “Resistance Through Their Eyes” youth event will take place in Kraków, Poland.
