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Just ahead of the 86th anniversary of Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass), which took place during the Holocaust, the Claims Conference and the USC Shoah Foundation, in partnership with UNESCO and Meta, offer an unprecedented experience of this pivotal moment by means of an immersive mixed-reality project.

8 November 2024

Through the words and experiences of Holocaust survivor and activist Dr Charlotte Knobloch, the mixed-reality “Inside Kristallnacht” project details the fear-provoking time during and after Kristallnacht which marked the Nazi dictatorship’s declaration of war against Jews. This immersive experience takes learners on a journey from her survival of Kristallnacht to the end of the Holocaust, illustrating the profound dangers of unchecked hatred when it turns into action. 

Dr Knobloch, who was born in 1932 in Munich, Germany, recounts the night of 9 November 1938, today known as Kristallnacht, when as a six-year-old she walked through the terrifyingly volatile streets with her father. This was the historic moment when growing hatred peaked, catalyzing into acts of violence and rage. Citizens turned on their longtime neighbours, roaming the streets in mobs, breaking the glass of Jewish homes and shops.

The “Inside Kristallnacht” project integrates real-life footage, photographs, music, other audio and meticulously researched historical context into the hand-drawn world of Dr Knobloch’s story. Learners can engage in an interactive Q&A with Dr Knobloch that uses natural language processing technology in which her prerecorded answers are matched with the questions. These answers cover diverse topics about her experience during Kristallnacht, her family and the Holocaust in general. 

Dr Knobloch’s memories are animated in a powerful way providing learners with a deeper, more emotional understanding of her survival, of the Kristallnacht, and of the years that followed. 

© Claims Conference

"Charlotte Knobloch’s story reminds us of the imperative to preserve the memory of the Holocaust, at a time when only but a few survivors can testify to their experience. We must also explore the possibilities offered by new technologies to help amplify the voices of survivors, preserve their testimonies and thereby combat Holocaust denial and distortion. It is also by confronting the past that we can prevent antisemitism and future violence. UNESCO is proud to support this innovative initiative as part of its international education programme on the Holocaust and genocide."

Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General

Response to hate speech and Holocaust denial and distortion

The “Inside Kristallnacht” project uses technology to counter the spread of disinformation and Holocaust denial by proposing quality teaching and learning materials to assist teachers and learners. The mixed-reality nature of the project also enables learners to understand what happened at the onset of World War II in a visceral way: future generations will be removed from the experience of hearing first-hand testimonies of Holocaust survivors, so technology can help keeping their memories alive for the next generations to better understand the dangers of antisemitism, racism, and all forms of discrimination and dehumanization.

Hate speech, including denial and distortion of the Holocaust, is rampant especially on social media. Attempts to distort this history is an attack on truth and factual knowledge and it spreads antisemitism by jeopardizing the understanding of the genocide of 6 million Jews by Nazi Germany, its allies and collaborators. 

Educating about the history of the genocide of the Jewish people and other Nazi crimes offers a robust defense against denial and distortion. To build resilience against ideologies of hate, learners need accurate knowledge about the fundamental facts of the Holocaust, and critical thinking and digital and AI literacy skills. 

Why learning about historical violence matters today

Learning about past genocides and other atrocity crimes illustrates the dangers of antisemitism, racism, and all forms of discrimination and dehumanization. Examining these histories raises questions about human behaviour and our capacity to succumb to scapegoating or simplistic answers to complex problems in the face of societal challenges. It also reveals the full range of human responses raising important considerations about ideological, societal and individual motivations and pressures that lead people to act as they do – or to not act at all.  

Education plays a fundamental role in responding to these threats, by fostering an understanding of violent pasts while at the same time developing the knowledge and values to prevent future atrocity crimes. In studying such events through new engaging pedagogies and tools, including the “Inside Kristallnacht” project, learners can better understand what drives mass violence globally, raise awareness of the warning signs and promote human rights and responsible civic engagement that support peace and human solidarity.  

The “Inside Kristallnacht” project will also be displayed in museums and film festivals, and accompany educational materials.

• What UNESCO does to promote education about the Holocaust and genocide
• Addressing antisemitism through education
• AI and the Holocaust: rewriting history? The impact of artificial intelligence …
• Countering hate speech
• Global citizenship and peace education

URL: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/learn-about-kristallnacht-through-eyes-holocaust-survivor?hub=87862