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5th Dialogforum Mauthausen

08.05.2013

The 5th Dialogforum Mauthausen took place on 6 and 7 May, focusing on the functions of a memorial site as a place of education and commemoration.

Implementation of the new educational concept at Mauthausen started three years ago, and the Dialogforum 2013 discussed topics relating to the role of a memorial as a historic site, a museum, and a site of education.  Questions considered during the interdisciplinary dialogue included:  What purposes do exhibitions at memorial sites serve today?  What do visitors expect from memorials at historic site?  How can historical remains be combined with exhibitions for the educational purposes of the site?  What possibilities can new media (i.e. smart phone, tablets) offer for exhibitions and educational work at memorial sites?

The Dialogforum occurred immediately after the opening of the two new exhibitions and memorial room, the Room of Names, on 5 May.  5 May is Austria’s national Memorial Day Against Violence and Racism in Memory of the Victims of National Socialism, which was commemorated in a ceremony at Mauthausen.