Interview with David Klevan, education manager for technology and distance learning at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM)

David Klevan was interviewed during the conference „httpasts://digitalmemoryonthenet“, organised by Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung in cooperation with Deutsche Kinemathek and 3Sat Kulturzeit in Berlin (14th - 16th April 2011). The aim of the conference was to cross-link online educational offerings with the topics of National Socialism, memorial sites and cultures of remembrance, as well as to continue to develop educational offerings and media-taught educational concepts on the internet.

From Annemarie Hühne

About the USHMM (length 3:30)

At first David Klevan describes the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, their purposes, the different parts of the institution and the education program.

Culture of remembrance (length 3:45)

David Klevan speaks about the specific ways of changing today`s culture of remembrance and about the impact of remembrance and new media. He sees the biggest changing in the Globalization of remembrance.

Education (length 3:03)

He understands by the term ‘education’ an active process. The purposes of the USHMM are: people have to learn about history and create a better future. He also speaks about a new web portal "the world memory project".

Social Media (length 1:59)

He talks about the philosophy of social media at the USHMM and the expectations with that.

Twitter (length 3:30)

David Klevan speaks about using twitter and a very interesting project with twitter at the Museum.

Oral History (length 2:53)

Oral History is very important for the USHMM. He describes the material which they have. David Klevan talks also about the problems of using this material and publishing it in the internet.

Intercultural Learning (length 3:22)

The focus of the museum is on education about Holocaust history and his implications for today. Klevan describes, among other things, a podcast series, called “voices against anti-Semitism”, where people from all over the world talk about different aspects of anti-Semitism and hatred. After that he speaks about other projects with an intercultural focus.