Since 2022, we have been offering an educational programme specifically designed for people in the care professions, in which participants explore not only the general history but also, in greater depth, the role of care within the Nazi regime.
At their core, the sessions aim to empower (prospective) care professionals to critically reflect on their own professional practice against the backdrop of the history of the Nazi era. The focus is on questions of professional ethical responsibility, the protection of human dignity, and the importance of empathy, care and a professional attitude in everyday nursing practice. Engaging with historical examples is intended to help participants become aware of moral boundaries for their own actions and to reinforce the importance of human rights in the health and care sector.
In terms of content, the sessions focus in particular on the role of medicine, nursing and the healthcare system during the Nazi era. Topics covered include the involvement of nursing staff in exclusion, forced sterilisation and the so-called ‘euthanasia’ crimes, as well as the question of individual scope for action and responsibility within a system that disregarded human dignity. Furthermore, the programme explores continuities and discontinuities in nursing professions and ethical principles.
In doing so, nursing is not viewed merely as an institution. Rather, the educational work focuses on specific historical actors, their motives, decisions and scope for action. The aim is to make historical contexts understandable whilst establishing links to current challenges in the healthcare and nursing sectors.
Alongside guided tours of the memorial and work with historical sources and exhibitions, exchange, discussion and joint reflection are central components of the events.
The three-day educational programme is aimed at trainees and students in care professions and is also suitable as a continuing professional development event for nursing staff already working in the field
