Seminar "Nazi Forced Labour in Film"

Historical Context:
Following the outbreak of the Second World War, Nazi Germany faced severe labour shortages and increasingly shifted the economic burden of the war onto populations from occupied territories. More than 13 million people from across Europe were deported or coerced into forced labour within the territory of the Third Reich.

Forced laboureres were subjected to harsh living and working conditions, including restricted rights, forced accommodation in camps or barracks, malnutrition, and limited freedom of movement. After 1945, many returned to societies that often marginalized or stigmatized them, particularly in contexts where forced labourers were perceived as having “collaborated” with the enemy.

Key Themes and Goals
1. Exploring the history of Nazi forced labour, current research trends, and pedagogical approaches.
2. Analysing how fiction and documentary cinema portray and shape our understanding of history.
3. Exchanging ideas on the current challenges faced by history educators in Europe, with a particular focus on teaching the history and memory of the Second World War.

Participants
The programme is open to 15 students and early-career educators. No prior experience in film studies is required.

Participants should be willing to stay for the whole duration of the summer school, actively contribute to discussions and participate in the final presentation of the film.

The working language of the summer school is English.

Organisers
The Nazi Forced Labour Documentation Centre, part of the Topography of Terror Documentation Center, is located on the site of a largely preserved former forced labour camp established in 1943 in an industrial district of Berlin for more than 2,100 people.

Its exhibitions, archives, and educational programmes focus on a historically underrepresented victim group: approximately 8.4 million civilian forced labourers from across Europe who were exploited by the Nazi regime during the war.

Application
To apply, please submit a short CV and a motivation letter in one file (max. 1–2 pages).

The organisers will cover travel costs, accommodation (single or possibly twin shared rooms) and meals for the selected participants.

Deadline: 1 May 2026

Please send your application to: Tanja Vaitulevich iymcberlin@topographie.de.