I-witness field school
"It can bring you to a place that most classrooms can't."
The purpose of the Field School is to explore the ways in which the Holocaust is memorialized in Central Europe and to build an understanding of how the lessons of the Holocaust are relevant in today’s world.
Students in this 3.0-unit, 400-level course have the opportunity to acquire a deeper understanding of antisemitism, racism, religious intolerance, homophobia and the stigmatization of the mentally and physically disabled communities. Graduate students will register for GMST 589, which is a 1.5 unit course.
To view the Field School poster, click here.
The next program will run in May of 2026, with applications due on November 1, 2025.
2024 program
Course Information
Never forget - UVic Holocaust Field School
Watch the Humanities Field School video - there is something in each field school that can't be learned in class!
20 years of "Stolpersteine" - an article in Deutche Welle (DW) - Germany’s international broadcaster.
Helga Thorson - I-witness Leader. Her Campus October 29, 2015
Field school - a chance for students to witness Holocaust legacy. The Martlet October 29, 2015
Article in The Torch (Aug 2014, p. 22)
An interview of Dr. Thorson and former student Ray Illsley to CFUV 101.9 FM
Presentation by Amy Coté on Berlin Memorials.
I-witness Field School in the Calgary Herald.
Religious Studies Student Experiences Holocaust Field School
For the 2024 Field School, students were provided with significant funds through the Friends of the Austrian Consulate in Vancouver award.
In addition, contributions by a number of foundations as well as many individual members of the community generously provided financial support. Special thanks to April and David Katz for giving a significant donation to create the Zena and Chaim Katz Family Memorial, which provides student scholarships for the I-witness Field School.
Several students also applied for the Silberberg Memorial Award to help cover travel costs.
All of these generous community gifts and personal donations help make this program possible.