German-Polish History Textbook. The Project Enters a New Phase

The project whose task is to create a German-Polish history textbook is entering a new phase. Work may now begin on the specific volumes of this work since publishers in both Poland and Germany have agreed to work as partners with the project, and now that funding has been secured. State Minister Cornelia Pieper expressed her approval of this on behalf of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which sponsors the German project team and its office in the Georg Eckert Institute.

Responsibility for the German-Polish history textbook means that the Georg Eckert Institute is coordinating a project which is of paramount importance for education and science policy with regard to Polish-German relations. The project shows that both sides are willing to acknowledge and recognise the historical experiences of their neighbouring country in their own history teaching, and to intensify academic dialogue about historical topics. The textbook is designed as a standard curricular work for use in history lessons in secondary schools in both countries. Identical versions of the book are to be used in each country whose only difference is the language in which they are written. It should adhere to the classical topics prescribed by curricula in each country (ranging from prehistory to the present day) while placing special emphasis on Polish-German viewpoints. The project leading towards a joint German-Polish textbook benefits greatly from the experience acquired by the Joint German-Polish Textbook Commission, which the Georg Eckert Institute has coordinated from its very inception. In 2012 the joint commission will celebrate its fortieth anniversary with a conference about 'Religious and Confessional Spaces in German-Polish Relations. Research and Representations in Classroom Teaching'.

Further information:
www.auswaertiges-amt.de/DE/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2012/120309-[..]

http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/DE/Infoservice/Presse/Meldungen/2012/120309-D-POL-GB.html