About this course: The Holocaust: The Destruction of European Jewry is an adaptation of an on-campus course that has been co-taught by Murray Baumgarten, Distinguished Professor of English and Comparative Literature (Literature Department), and Peter Kenez, Professor Emeritus (History Department), for over 20 years at UC Santa Cruz. In this course, you will explore the Holocaust from the overlapping perspectives of literature and history—through memoirs, historical documents, poetry, documentary footage, filmic representations, and novels. You will expand your knowledge of the literature of the Holocaust, Eastern and Western European Jewish communities, the origins and development of antisemitism, the establishment of labor and extermination camps, resistance movements, and the Holocaust as a problem for world history. There is more than one way to take this course: You can complete all of the activities (and earn a Verified Certificate) or only the activities that are most interesting to you. Whatever you choose to do, we encourage you to find a havruta (a study partner) in your community or in the Coursera community so that you can experience the course in a more interactive and meaningful way.

Created by: University of California, Santa Cruz

Taught by: Murray Baumgarten, Distinguished Professor of English & Comparative Literature
Literature
Taught by: Peter Kenez, Professor Emeritus
History

Language	English
How To Pass	Pass all graded assignments to complete the course.
User Ratings	4.6 stars Average User Rating 4.6See what learners said

Syllabus

WEEK 1

Who were the Jews?

This module is an introduction to the study of the Holocaust and a prehistory of the Holocaust. Profs. Baumgarten and Kenez discuss the roots of modern antisemitism, the culture of European Jews in the 19th century, Nehama Tec’s Dry Tears, and the various genr...

13 videos, 7 readings

WEEK 2

Prelude to the Holocaust

In this module Profs. Baumgarten and Kenez discuss the changing demographics and political landscape of early 20th century Eastern Europe, Jewish identity, the Bildungsroman, Silvano Arieti’s The Parnas, Primo Levi’s Survival in Auschwitz, Aharon Appelfeld’s B...

19 videos, 1 reading

WEEK 3

Rise of the Nazis

In this module Profs. Baumgarten and Kenez discuss the political and social environment of 1930s Germany, the Jewish question, and the treatment of evil in poetry.

14 videos, 7 readings

WEEK 4

Beginnings of war

In this module Profs. Baumgarten and Kenez discuss the conditions that were necessary for the Holocaust to occur, the early events of World War II, Thomas Kenneally’s Schindlers List, Andres Schwartz-Bart’s The Last of the Just, and questions of guilt and resp...

15 videos, 1 reading

Graded: The Holocaust is still with us

WEEK 5

Witness to trauma

In this module Profs. Baumgarten and Kenez discuss the invasion of the Soviet Union, Thomas Kenneally’s Schindler’s List, and questions of witnessing. Guest speaker Dora Sorell shares her own experience of the Holocaust.

16 videos, 1 reading

WEEK 6

Establishment of the camps

In this module Profs. Baumgarten and Kenez discuss the establishment of labor and extermination camps, memorialization, Tadeusz Borowski’s This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen, and Christopher Browning’s Ordinary Men.

11 videos, 1 reading

Graded: Analysis of a Holocaust text or film

WEEK 7

Deportation and extermination

In this module Profs. Baumgarten and Kenez discuss the Holocaust in Western Europe, the complex history of Hungary, Imre Kertész’s Fatelessness, and Ida Fink’s A Scrap of Time.

20 videos, 3 readings

WEEK 8

The perpetrators, the neighbors, and the outside world

In this module Profs. Baumgarten and Kenez discuss the unique case of Romania, the culpability of the outside world, and the end of World War II. The text of Adolf Hitler’s last testament is provided.

11 videos, 2 readings

Graded: Explore your ideas from the discussion forum

FAQs

How It Works

Coursework

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Creators

University of California, Santa Cruz

UC Santa Cruz is an outstanding public research university with a deep commitment to undergraduate education. It’s a place that connects people and programs in unexpected ways while providing unparalleled opportunities for students to learn through hands-on experience.

Ratings and Reviews

Rated 4.6 out of 5 of 111 ratings

Took this course for job purposes. It is great for everyone, although I believe that people with some background in comparative literature will benefit from it the most,

Sensitive and erudite double-handed presentation by the two profs. Informative - it is of course meant to be educational.

From separate perspectives of literature and history they maintain an engaging tension that avoids personalisation whilst being clear that personal it really is.

I really could do with them supervising me as Phd student (an elderly on). I would sit happily at their feet.

Fascinating insights!

Dark and disturbing though the course material is, this course is an absolute must for all who are interested in the Shoah and the depths of mans' inhumanity.

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