Following consultations with the management of Széchenyi István University, and in accordance with the decision of the Faculty Council of the Apáczai Csere János Faculty of Education, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, the University, in collaboration with our foundation, launched an optional module entitled ‘The Memory of Judaism in Hungary’ in September 2026 across all undergraduate programmes within the faculty.
The study of this subject area and the student research carried out on the topic help participants to gain a better understanding of the history of the Jewish communities in Győr and rural Hungary – which have essentially disappeared – as well as their integration into the local social fabric and their culture, whilst the unavoidable question, analysing aspects of anti-Semitism may lead young people and those around them to re-examine exclusionary and unjustly discriminatory views.
Ten students have enrolled on the course currently running (September 2026), comprising one social pedagogue, three sociologists, three students of international studies, and three students specialising in recreation and lifestyle. It is led by Dr Richárd Papp, an anthropologist at ELTE University, in collaboration with Bettina Oszter, a teaching assistant at the Department of Social Studies and Sociology, SZE.
Course topics (excerpt):
- Research questions to be explored by students during the semester: who is Jewish; the causes of persecution and anti-Semitism; narratives of local remembrance; visual signs of local remembrance
- The contexts of Holocaust remembrance: family context; educational experiences of Holocaust remembrance; the social contexts of Holocaust remembrance; Holocaust remembrance and social media; the future of remembrance; the Holocaust and the politics of memory
- Methodological training for students’ independent research: memory studies in social sciences; fieldwork methodology; spatial and symbolic analysis; interview techniques; ways of interpreting empirical findings; ethical issues
- Students will carry out empirical micro-research related to the topics of the semester and deliver a 15–20-minute presentation on their findings. The research will be based on participant observation, conducting and analysing interviews, and producing visual documentation.
We will keep our readers informed about the progress and conclusion of the course in November–December 2026.
Featured image: Memorial plaque on the wall of the Sándor Lukács Technical College building (13–15 Mártírok útja, Győr), which stands on the site of the former barracks on Budai út in Győr, unveiled on 6 July 2024 as part of the Jewish Roots in Győr World Reunion