What is the exhibition about
“Stolen. Uprooted.” is an educational exhibition that presents stories of children who were stolen by the German occupation authorities from the countries of Central and Central-Eastern Europe during World War II, and taken to Germany where they were supposed to undergo the Germanisation process. It also shows contemporary examples of theft and violation of children’s rights – as these crimes had been not exclusively done in Nazi Germany.
Who is the exhibition for
The exhibition is primarily addressed to students aged 14-19 and teachers who should use it as an educational aid.
What does the exhibition look like?
The exhibition consists of thirteen boards: a title board, eleven thematic boards and a final board. In its basic version, it is presented on roll-ups, and the area of each of the boards is 100 × 200 cm. The exhibition is available in English, Czech, German, Polish, and Ukrainian language. A single set of boards is always written in one language.
Uprooted – exhibition boards (PDF, 19.7 MB)Lending the exhibition
The German-language version of the exhibition can be lent to interested institutions and schools at the Kreisau-Initiative in Berlin. A workshop for young people can be booked to accompany the exhibition. To discuss details, please contact: pr@kreisau.de. The Polish-language version of the exhibition can be lent to interested institutions and schools at the Krzyżowa Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe. Please contact: sekretariat@krzyzowa.pl, phone: +48 74 851 00 301.
How should the exhibition be used as an educational aid
The exhibition plays the role of an educational aid intended for participants of workshops devoted to stolen children. A teacher or educator who has previously learned the story of the stolen children – or, after the appropriate training, a pupil, as part of peer education – can give a guided tour of the exhibition. It is with them in mind that this guide has been prepared.
Is it possible to watch the exhibition independently, without attending the workshops?
The exhibition can be presented independently – both to students who do not take part in the workshops and also to adult audiences. We hope that it will then serve as an easy-to-understand introduction into the topic of theft and Germanisation of children, and also an incentive to explore this topic. Those who are interested are recommended to read the historical essays.
QR codes
Selected exhibition boards include areas with QR codes. These refer to more detailed descriptions of the subject named above the QR code, placed at this website. They serve to supplement the information presented on the board, elaborate on issues shown in the individual illustrations and descriptions, or address issues relevant to understanding the topic of child-stealing and Germanisation, the inclusion of which, directly on the board, would disrupt the flow of the narrative.
Should all of the QR codes be read?
The reading of the texts to which the QR codes refer must be treated as an additional task – the expansion of knowledge. It is not necessary to know all of the specifics as the basic issues are presented on the main exhibition boards. However, familiarisation with the content is recommended – especially during educational activities.
How should the QR codes be used during the educational work?
The contents to which the QR codes refer should be introduced by the person who is giving the tour of the exhibition. An invitation to independent scanning of all or selected codes may, however, become an element of additional activities during or after the guided tour. The search for particular additional content, once the guided tour is over, may be used as a starting point for further work, tasks to be carried out independently (as homework) or in a group – all this depends on the creativity of the person giving the guided tour of the exhibition. Several suggestions for further activities can be found in the guide to the exhibition.
How do I get started?
People giving a guided tour of the exhibition, as well as those wishing to explore the exhibition on their own, should start by scanning the QR code found on the first, title, board of the exhibition with their mobile device. This QR code links to this webpage where there are instructions to help guide the group through the exhibition – pointing out particularly important elements of the respective boards to make sure that the viewers have definitely paid attention to them, as well as adding content that may not yet have been covered in the history curriculum.