A leading figure in Germany’s historical community is calling for mandatory professional development for history teachers, citing growing concerns over a lack of historical knowledge among younger generations and the proliferation of misinformation. Lutz Raphael, chairman of the Association of German Historians (VHD), emphasized the urgent need to upgrade the expertise of current history educators in an interview with the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung”.
Raphael expressed concern that educators are ill-equipped to address a combination of provocative questioning and superficial understanding encountered in classrooms. He attributes gaps in knowledge, particularly regarding the Nazi era and the Holocaust, to deficiencies in the way history is taught within the school system. A common issue, he notes, is the prevalence of teachers with limited historical training or who teach history as a combined subject rather than a dedicated discipline.
Recent survey data from the Jewish Claims Conference further underscores the issue. The survey revealed that approximately 40 percent of German respondents aged 18-29 were unaware of the number of Jewish people murdered during the Nazi era. Only two-thirds recognized the name Auschwitz and a concerning 12 percent admitted to never having heard the term “Holocaust.
Raphael stressed the crucial role of history education in fostering democratic values. He argued that in an age of easily disseminated misinformation through social media, the need for robust civic education is more critical than ever. He rejected the initiative as mere professional self-interest, drawing a parallel to the potential consequences of neglecting mathematics education and highlighting the importance of continuous specialist knowledge.
He voiced his bewilderment at the absence of a mandatory professional development requirement for teachers, describing the situation as “negligent”. Raphael pointed to the continuous training necessary for professions such as medicine, psychology and therapy to maintain professional accreditation, suggesting a similar system should be implemented for educators.