In cooperation with the Volkswagen (VW) Academy Baunatal, located just south of Kassel, the memorial offers a one-day workshop seminar for trainees in all VW departments. The subject of the workshop is Nazi forced labour and the function of the “work education camps” within this complex of crimes.

The seminar consists of an introduction to the subject, a guided tour of the historic Breitenau site and a workshop in which participants work in small groups on the topics of racism, the visibility and daily routine of forced labour and compensation after 1945, and then present their findings to each other. Following the first run in 2021 and feedback from participants, the programme has been expanded to include a lecture on the history of VW in the light of Nazi forced labour.

The initiative to offer a seminar day for all VW trainees at the VW Academy Baunatal came from the VW Academy in 2019. On the one hand, this was a reaction to the murder of Walter Lübcke, the head of Kassel's public administration, by a right-wing extremist and the desire to deal more intensively with historical and political issues; on the other hand, it stemmed from the desire to strengthen regional cooperation. Due to the pandemic, the first round in 2021 took place digitally under difficult conditions, but the feedback from participants was positive.

In 2022, for the first time, 12 seminars were held at the memorial. The feedback from the groups was almost entirely positive - we at the Memorial were surprised at how well the seminars went down. All parts of the workshop day were rated positively, especially the tour of the historic site and the group work, but also the varied and interactive design in general. The recurring references to the participants' own experiences, as well as the geographical proximity to their homes and their training centre, contributed significantly to their interest in the subject.

Both partners benefit from this seminar. The VW Academy is able to offer its trainees more historical and political education with regional relevance, while the Breitenau Memorial is able to raise awareness of forced labour in the Kassel region. The seminar can serve as a model for other similar workshops and cooperations between companies and memorials.

Gedenkstätte Breitenau
Brückenstrasse 12
34302 Guxhagen
Phone: 05665 / 3533
Email: info@gedenkstaette-breitenau.de