About Us
Background
The conference will provide an integrated and multi-dimensional view of the evolution of the Final Solution in Central and Eastern Europe. It aims to present new voices, new perspectives, and new approaches for understanding the Holocaust. Most widely known images depict only the final chapter, the extermination of millions in gas chambers, however the ghettoization and subsequent extermination of millions between 1941-1943 was also carried out by lesser known (but equally lethal) 'person-to-person' methods: bullets. The conference connects the starting and final chapters and the ongoing genocide between them. The conference will also commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Hungarian Holocaust.
Location & Host Institution
As the host of the conference, the State University of Uzhhorod National University, Uzhhorod, is a leading higher education institution in the Transcarpathia region of Ukraine. It was selected for its academic excellence as well as central location, in a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, and multi-lingual region. Transcarpathia has been populated through the centuries by Rusyns, Hungarians, Romanians, Slovakians, Germans Jews and Roma. At the "cross-roads" of the region, Uzhhorod is easily accessible from the neighboring countries by car or train. Overseas participants can fly to Budapest or other regional airports in Hungary and proceed by train.
Themes & Topics
Regional Implementation of the Holocaust: Comparative Perspectives
The evolution of the Holocaust: from Bullets to Gas Chambers
"The Silence of God:" Theological Questions About the Holocaust
Holocaust Education: Lessons for Future Generations
The Holocaust in Contemporary Political Discourse
The Holocaust in the Mirror of Literature, Art, Film and Music
Reconstituting a Community: Post Holocaust Generations
Perpetrators, Collaborators, & Rescuers in the Holocaust
Students' Reflections: What Have They Learned about the Holocaust
travel Information
Travel Information:
Overseas travelers advised to fly into Budapest. However, Vienna and Prague can also be an option. The train schedule, though, is more complicated than from Budapest. For cheap flight inside Europe, the town of Debrecen in Hungary also maintains an international airport. The easiest and most comfortable mode of transportation in Europe is by train. The passport and custom control is also easier on the train. From Hungary, there are trains running between Budapest and Debrecen to the Hungarian Border Crossing in Zahony. From there, a local train can bring the traveler over the border to Csop, in the Ukrainian side. From the Ukrainian side the center of Uzhhorod is only a short ride. On the train station, informational assistance will be provided to the participants. There are daily buses from Nyíregyháza in Hungary; from Košice, and Michalovce in Slovakia. About schedule of trains, you may consult the website of the Hungarian railways.
Uzhhorod is in Western Ukraine on the Hungarian and Slovakian borders. It is safe and delightful, harking back to the Hapsburg Empire. For general information about Uzhhorod click on https://wikitravel.org/en/Uzhhorod.
Accommodations:
Hotel: selection in progress
Hostel: selection in progress
The Synagogue of Uzhhorod
optional trips for conference participants
Pre-Conference Trip June 12-15: AUSCHWITZ
Join the American students for an optional trip, in cooperation with the Galicia Jewish Museum in Krakow. The trip will include a visit to Auschwitz and its museum, the area of the ghetto of Krakow, tour of the Schindler factory, view of the exhibits in the Galicia Jewish Museum, and an evening of Jewish culture.
"Vanished World: Once Jews Lived Here" June 19-20:
Optional Post-Conference Trip to the small village of Vilhivce (Irholc in Hungarian) in Transcarpathia.
The shtetle, frozen in time, hosts two cemeteries and a synagogue, which was converted to a storage facility and has not been used since 1944. After a visit of these sites, a lecture about the history of the Jews of the village, theirdeportation and murder, and the reciting of the Kaddish in the synagogue will complement the visit.
The Field Trip will continue across the border to Sighet, Romania, the birth place of Elie Wiesel, where a tour of the town and a lecture will conclude the Field Trip. From there, the group will return to Budapest.
Tour of Budapest June 20-25:
Interested participants may join the American delegation on a 4-day tour of Budapest. Special activities include an introduction to Jewish Budapest, visit of historical sites, and cultural events.
Estimated Cost: in progress
The Synagogue of Vilhivce-Irholc
