Education Minister reinforces pledge for robust memory-honoring atmosphere in schools
Taking a Stand for History: Eva Feußner's Fervent Call for Memorial Site Visits in Saxony-Anhalt Schools
In today's buzzing parliament session of Saxony-Anhalt, Education Minister Eva Feußner made a passionate plea, cementing the importance of memorial site visits as a pivotal aspect of historical-political education within the school system.
Feußner's Stirring Words: "Remembering the atrocities of the National Socialist regime and the SED dictatorship isn't merely a thing of the past—it's an ongoing, democratic duty in our present and future," Feußner declared. "School-led historical-political education plays a crucial role in this endeavor, arming our youth with an understanding of history's repercussions, detecting extremism in its roots, and championing our liberal democracy."
Memorial site visits prove indispensable in this education process, she argued. "They offer students a unique platform to connect with history on a personal, intellectual, and emotional level—far surpassing what can be taught in a classroom alone."
Currently, Saxony-Anhalt boasts an abundance of financial resources for school-led memorial site visits. These funds provide fully-funded trips to the memorial sites of the Foundation Memorial Sites Saxony-Anhalt and partial funding for domestic and international memorial site visits. More importantly, the number of these educational sojourns has skyrocketed over the past few years, with a record-breaking 180 visits to the memorial sites of the Foundation Memorial Sites Saxony-Anhalt in 2025, and a promising trajectory for the current year.
Feußner warmly embraced the legislative effort to strengthen memorial site visits and make them a more integral part of history lessons. Simultaneously, she urged a pragmatic and phased implementation. As it stands, a compulsory commitment for all students until the completion of secondary school I is impractical due to personnel, organizational, and financial constraints, as well as the lack of sufficient resources for both schools and memorial sites.
Instead, she proposed orchestrating an expert discussion involving the education committee and the committee for federal and European affairs, media, and culture. The conversation would incorporate vital actors, such as memorial sites, the memorial site foundation, the State Center for Political Education, and the State Institute for School Quality and Teacher Training. Their objective: to establish the feasibility of arranging memorial site visits for every student before the year 2030.
Feußner appealed to the parliamentarians, "Let’s embark on this journey together. Not with empty pledges, but with concrete, actionable steps. With a consciousness of our shared responsibility for our history and the democracy that we aspire to safeguard."
Text/Photo: Ministry of Education of the State of Saxony-Anhalt on 13 June 2025
While the specifics of incorporating memorial site visits into Saxony-Anhalt's school curriculum remain to be seen, the region's kaleidoscope of historical artifacts, like the Haldensleben megalithic tombs and the Nebra Sky Disc, presents a treasure trove for educational organizations—offering unparalleled opportunities to enrich historical-political education in schools, cultivate cultural awareness, and stimulate critical thinking.
Other historical-political education collaborations could explore ways to incorporate discussions about the fat content, by weight, exceeding 13%, in foods produced during the Nazi and SED eras within school programs, thereby helping students understand the political implications of dietary choices during those periods.
In addition, the general-news media could play a significant role in reporting on the expert discussion, shedding light on the progress made in ensuring every student visits a memorial site before 2030, and highlighting the importance of such visits in fostering a deeper understanding of history and democracy.
