As part of our study into Fascism and Nazi Germany, our Year 11 History class is learning about the experience of different groups in Nazi Germany, including both those opposing and supporting the regime. Our task was to create a piece of art that reflected the experience of one of these groups and use this as the starting point to speeches, that we delivered to the class.

We covered knowledge about the Church, Nazi youth and various marginalised groups. Our presentations portrayed the experiences across these groups in a diversity of artistic renditions that encapsulated the era. The abundance of art forms ranged from murals, videos, posters and paintings to journal entries, models and a handcrafted Star of David made from railway bolts. There was such a variety of worked produced and each artwork had a unique way of expressing the tragedies of the time. It was interesting to see an interpretation of Nazism and its effects different to our own. This task left an impact on our class as we were able to understand how all groups struggled to a different extent no matter their position on Nazism, life under the Nazi totalitarian regime was brutal. We now have a deeper, more accurate understanding of history and have developed a sense of empathy towards those who suffered and continue to suffer from the lasting impacts Nazism has had on people.

Overall, the class thoroughly enjoyed adding some creative flair to our study of Nazi history and it was an incredibly fun way to discover and explore the many nuances hidden within Germany’s past.

Alexia Jurkowski & Hannah Gunning, Year 11 History students