There are many different possibilities how to work with the stories of this platform in a pedagogical context. One simple possibility is to invite the participants of a group to scroll through the platform, to choose one story they find particularly interesting and then to explain to the other why. We particularly recommend using the different tags and filters within the platform in order to work with several stories of a similar topic. In the following we provide for each of the main topics of the platform some questions of knowledge and reflection which can be raised and discussed in connection with different stories which are related to same general topic.
Young people
- What have been examples of young people who participated in resistance activities?
- What can be understood by “young people”? Which age had the mentioned persons?
- What were different forms of resistance in which young people engaged?
- What would you say: Did young people engage despite or because of their young age? Explain your answer.
- Which of the stories do you find particularly interesting? Why?
- Do you know other examples of young people who participated in resistance / please try to find additional examples of resistance in this field.
Women
- What have been examples of women who participated in resistance activities?
- What were different forms of resistance in which women engaged?
- Were women in resistance confronted with specific difficulties/problems, in comparison to men?
- To what extent would you say that resistance was a moment of emancipation for women?
- When you read stories related to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, France and Germany: To what extent do you see differences and similarities between the countries regarding the role of women in resistance? Do you think that the examples from the stories can be seen as representative for entire countries?
- Which of the stories do you find particularly interesting? Why?
- Do you know other examples of women who participated in resistance / please try to find additional examples of resistance in this field.
Minorities
- What do you associate with the word “minority”?
- How would you define a minority?
- What have been examples of minorities engaged in resistance activities??
- What role did foreigners play in resistance movements?
- Which of the stories do you find particularly interesting? Why?
- Do you know other examples from minorities who participated in resistance / please try to find additional examples of resistance in this field.
Religious actors
- What have been examples of religious actors engaged in resistance activities?
- In which ways did they engage in resistance activities?
- Would you say that it was more church institutions or entire religious communities that resisted, or rather individuals? Explain your answer.
- Which of the stories do you find particularly interesting? Why?
- Do you know other religious actors who participated in resistance / please try to find additional examples of resistance in this field.
Culture and arts
- What have been examples of resistance activities in the field of culture and arts?
- How would you define “cultural resistance”: Resistance by cultural actors (for example writers), or resistance by ordinary persons through arts (for example music or drawing)?
- Which of the stories do you find particularly interesting? Why?
- Compare the songs / poems “Die Moorsoldaten”, “Le chant des partisans”, “La complainte du partisans”. “Konjuh Planinom”, and “The pit”: In which different ways do they talk about oppression and resistance?
- Do you know other examples of resistance through culture and arts / please try to find additional examples of resistance in this field.
Sports and resistance
- What have been forms of resistance in the domain of sports?
- Compare the stories about Hajduk Split and Jedinstvo Bihac , Rino della Negra, and Matthias Sindelar: What similarities and differences do you see?
- Which of the stories do you find particularly interesting? Why?
- Do you know other examples of resistance from the field of sports / please try to find additional examples of resistance in this field.
Organisation of resistance
- Resistance was initially often spontaneous and improvised, and then became more organized. What have been different ways to organize resistance?
- What have been different forms of resistance?
- What have been different spaces where resistance was organized?
- Why was it difficult to organize resistance? What were the biggest challenges and dangers?
- Resistance often meant to act secretly. How did resisters try to minimise the risks of being discovered and arrested?
- Resistance was often not organized by individuals, but by groups: Do you think that only resistance in groups should be considered as “real” resistance?
- What are advantages and problems when organizing resistance in groups, or if you are acting alone?
- Which of the stories do you find particularly interesting? Why?
Armed resistance
- What have been different forms of armed resistance?
- Are armed resistance and military resistance the same?
- Should only armed resistance be called resistance?
- Do you think it would have been possible to fight against Nazism and occupation without arms?
- Which of the stories do you find particularly interesting? Why?
Non-violent resistance
- What have been different forms of non-violent resistance?
- Would you say that non-violent and non-armed resistance are the same?
- Do you see armed resistance and non-violent resistance as complementary or as contradictory?
- Which of the stories do you find particularly interesting? Why?
- Do you know other examples of resistance from the field of sports / please try to find additional examples of resistance in this field.
Help and rescue
- Who helped, who was helped?
- What have been motivations of people to help?
- Is help and rescue automatically non-violent resistance?
- Did only not-persecuted persons help others? Or did also persecuted persons help themselves and /or other persecuted persons?
- How dangerous was it to help persecuted persons?
- Which of the stories do you find particularly interesting? Why?
- Do you know other examples of help and rescue in the time of World War II / please try to find additional examples in this field.
Early resistance
- What can be considered as “early resistance”?
- What would you define as early resistance in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, France and Germany?
- Did resistance in different countries start slowly or quickly?
- In comparison to “early resistance”, what can be considered as “late” resistance? Read in this context also the story Resistors of the 25th hour
- Should only ”early” resistants be considered as “real” resistants”?
- Do you think it is important to distinguish between “early” and “late” resistance? If yes, why?
Resistance in cities
- What were possibilities to resist in cities?
- To what extent do cities provide other possibilities and challenges for resistance than the countryside?
- Which of the stories do you find particularly interesting? Why?-
- Do you know examples of resistance against Nazism / fascism from the city in which you live / where you have grown up?
Forest and mountains
- Which role did forests and mountains play for resistance groups and activities?
- Why were forests and mountains a privileged space for resistance?
- To what extent were forests and mountains also a challenge for resistance groups?
- Which of the stories do you find particularly interesting? Why?
- Do you know other examples of help and rescue in the time of World War II / please try to find additional examples in this field.
Camps
- In Nazi-occupied Europe existed different kinds of camps: internment camps, forced labour camps, prisoners of war camps, concentration camps, extermination camps. What were the aims of these camps, for whom were they intended? What were differences between these camps? Could one camp also have different functions at the same time?
- What have been different forms of resistance in camps?
- Why was resistance in camps particularly difficult?
- Which of the stories do you find particularly interesting? Why?
- Do you know other examples of resistance in camps at the time of World War II / please try to find additional examples in this field?
Other spaces of resistance
- Besides cities, forest mountains and camps: what were other spaces where resistance took place?
- To what extent were sea / seaside spaces which were used for resistance? Look for example at the stories “The fishermen of the Ile de Sein”, “Yugoslav Naval Detachment”, “Sailor and rescuer”
- Many opponents to Nazism, fascism and occupation left their country of residence and went into exile. Would you say that exile was a space of resistance? If yes, how and why? What are concrete examples you can find in the stories?
- Did resistance against Nazism and fascism during World War II only take place in Europe? What have been spaces outside of the European continent connected with resistance activities?
Transnational resistance
- How would you define “Transnational”? What is the difference with “national”, “multinational” and “international”?
- What can be understood as transnational resistance? What were different examples and forms of transnational resistance?
- When you look at the stories, what are examples of a) transnational biographies, b) transnational trajectories, and c) transnational activities?
- You can say “French resistance” or “resistance in France”, “German resistance” or “resistance in Germany”, “Yugoslav resistance” or “resistance in Yugoslavia”: Where do you see the difference?
- Would you say that resistance in Europe was more a national or transnational phenomenon?
- Which of the stories do you find particularly interesting? Why?
Symbols
- A symbol can be understood as an easily regognisable mark, word or sign, that stands for something else. It built up group identity and convey emotions. All societies and political movements use symbols. This was also the case of the resistance against nazism and fascism during World War II. Symbols of resistance can take different forms, for example:
- Real persons, see for example the stories about Sophie Scholl, Rada Vranješević, and Death by hanging
- Fictional characters, see for example the story about Viktor Laszlo, and Walter
- Concrete locations or events, see for example the stories about Bir Hakeim, Mont Valérien, and Slana
- Slogans, for example Death to facism, freedom to the people
- Spaces, for example Forests
- Songs and poems, see for example The pit, Konjuh Planinom and The Partisan Song
- Flags, medals or signs, see for example the stories related to Thälmann Company, Rewarding bravery, and the Cross of Lorraine
- What do these examples of symbols have in common?
- Which different aspects of resistance does every example emphasise? You can make a concept map to illustrate your thoughts and show connections between the symbols.
- Why did resistance groups use symbols? What practical use did the symbols have?
- What do you think: Did these symbols “just arise” or were they specifically created as resistance symbols?
- Research which stories/ examples were already used as symbols of the resistance during the war and which became symbols after, in the process of the memorialisation.
- Which story do you find particularly interesting? Why?
- Do you know other symbols of resistance from this time? Please try to find out more examples!
Ambivalences / controversies
- We often like to look at history as a world where everything is clearly sorted, resistors vs. collaborators, victims vs. perpetrators, friends vs. enemies. But transitions between different attitudes were and are often fluid. Furthermore, already during the war, and ever since, there have been controversial discussions about different attitudes during World War II, including on resistance. Here are some questions for discussion raised by some of our stories:
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- Can you be part of the collaborating regime, and nevertheless oppose this regime or at least certain of its decisions? “Muslim Resolutions” of 1941–1942 and “Vichysto-Résistant”, a strange concept in France
- When you join resistance movements late in the war, is it only out of opportunism? “Resisters of the 25th hour”
- Do resistance movements also commit crimes? Transgressions by resistants
- Is help for persecuted persons always done out of altruism? Smugglers: “Heroes” or “Assassins”?
- What different meanings can betrayal have in the context of resistance? Traitors and “Drenović has betrayed Šolaja”: The Partisans vs. the “Chetniks”
- Can a victim be a resistance fighter, and can a resistance fighter be a victim? Françoise Frenkel, victim or resistance fighter?
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Repression
- The Nazi authorities and their collaborators tried to crush resistance with all means. What have been different kind of repression against resisters and resistance activities?
- How did resisters react in face of persecution and repression?
- What would you say: Was repression something which discouraged people to join resistance groups, or on the country encouraged people to join them? Or both?
Post-war visions
- Resistance groups and movements often did not only want to end Nazism and occupation, they often also had plans what should come after the war. What are examples of post-war visions by resistance groups?
- How different have been these post-war visions ?
- Where the ideas more to return to what existed before or to create something new?
- To hat extent was an united Europe a vision fof resistance groups for after the war?
- Which of the stories do you find particularly interesting? Why?
Memorialisation
- What have been different forms to memorialise resistance events and activities after the war?
- Why do you think certain person / activities have been remembered, others not?
- Compare the commemorative plaques in the photos of following stories: The fishermen of Ile de Sein, The power of silence, Guy Môquet, The village of the Righteous, Rino Della Negra, Jean Moulin, The Pit, The Black Hand, Věra Hynkova, Matthias Sindelar. What are the persons / events which are remembered? What do the inscriptions say / not say? Are symbols used on the plaque, and if yes, which ones?
- Do you think that the memory of resistance should be used to talk about contemporary conflicts? What are advantages and dangers when comparing World Wer II with current conflicts?
- Which of the stories do you find particularly interesting? Why?