1. Challenges of Seeking Refuge
(Why Didn’t They Just Leave?)

2. USHMM Guidelines for Teaching About the Holocaust
Define the term “Holocaust”
Do not teach or imply that the Holocaust was inevitable.
Avoid simple answers to complex questions
Strive for precision of language
Strive for balance in establishing whose perspective informs your study of the Holocaust

3. USHMM Guidelines for Teaching About the Holocaust
Avoid comparisons of pain
Do not romanticize history
Contextualize the history
Translate statistics into people
Make responsible methodological choices

4. USHMM Guidelines for Teaching About the Holocaust
Avoid simple answers to complex questions.
Contextualize the history.
Translate statistics into people.
Make responsible methodological choices.

5. Path to Nazi Genocide; USHMM
What were the factors pushing Jews under the Third Reich to emigrate? (Ch. 3)

6. Path to Nazi Genocide; USHMM

7. Jewish Emigration
By 1938, about 150,000 German Jews, one in four, had already left.
After Germany annexed Austria in March 1938, an additional 185,000 Jews were brought under Nazi rule.
A substantial percentage tried to go to the United States but were unable to obtain the necessary immigration visas.
Jews hoping to receive exit visas at a police station in Vienna. (USHMM)

9. Evian Conference, July 1938
President Franklin D. Roosevelt called for an international conference regarding refugees from Germany and Austria.
32 countries met at the French resort of Evian on Lake Geneva.
Evian Conference, 1938 (USHMM)

10. Evian Conference, July 1938
During the nine-day meeting, most countries, including the United States and Britain, offered excuses for not letting in more refugees.
Only the Dominican Republic agreed to accept additional refugees.
Evian Conference cartoon, 1938 (Facing History)

11. Evian Conference, July 1938
US spoke abstractly about “political” refugees
Britain refused to open Palestine to Jewish refugees
Australia: “We don’t have a racial problem and we don’t want to import one.”
Canada: “…None was too many.”
Venezuela: reluctant to disturb the “demographic equilibrium” of the country
Dominican Republic: generous offer to receive 100,000 Jews

13. Challenges of Seeking Refuge
Talk with a partner about what would need to be done in preparing to leave the country.
Share with the group.
Look at the Emigration from Germany handout. Circle the top 3 things you think would be the most challenging to do in order to emigrate.

14. Challenges of Seeking Refuge
Look at the Immigration to the U.S. handout. Circle the top 3 things you think would be the most challenging to do in order to immigrate to the U.S.
Share with the group.
The question, “Why didn’t they just leave?” now becomes ______________________?

15. I’m Still Here; Klaus Langer

16. Challenges of Seeking Refuge
Klaus Langer journal entries
While reading aloud, circle all of the countries to which they tried to emigrate.
What have you learned about the emigration process? What would your students take away from this?