286: Learning About the Past and Present Through Memorials, Monuments, and Museums
“The further you have this generational gap to the events of the past, the further young people are historically detached from it. Younger generations nowadays also focus a bit more on other things and not so strongly anymore about the Nazi period.” — Dennis Behnke
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My Guest
Dennis Behnke is the Berlin Storyteller, a tour guide working in the German capital. He is a fourth-generation Berliner who helps bring the city's history alive by telling anecdotes from his own family and the stories of the people who shaped the city rather than focusing on numbers and dry facts. His main focus are the Third Reich and the Cold War in Berlin.
Summary / Key Topics
My conversation with Dennis focused on the importance of history education, particularly in understanding World War II and its lasting impact. We discussed the challenges and opportunities of teaching history in a way that is both accurate and engaging, and we highlighted the significance of personal stories and memorials in bringing history to life. We also explored the issue of anti-Semitism and its relevance to the Holocaust, emphasizing the need to learn from the past to prevent such atrocities from happening again.
Social Media
Berlin Storyteller website/tours
Dennis’s email
Referenced
The Bebelplatz. Site of the May 1933 book-burning. (Ikler photo)
The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. (Ikler photo)
One of the “Stolperstein,” or stumble stones, you can see on the sidewalks of Berlin. These mark three members from one family that were taken and murdered.
About Jeff
Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.
Show Credits
"Getting Unstuck" is commercial-free. It’s brought to you by Jeff Ikler, his amazing guests, and Neil Hughes, the best engineer a podcaster could ask for.
"Getting Unstuck" theme music: Original composition of "Allegro ben ritmato e deciso" by George Gershwin. Arrangement and recording courtesy of Bruno Lecoeur.