The Holocaust - An Introduction (II) The Final Solution

The Holocaust was an inconceivable historical event, which forever robbed Western culture of its innocence. As civilized human beings, we fail to understand how events of such horror could have taken place, and how an idea so inhumanly warped could have spread like wildfire through an entire continent, instigating the systematic annihilation of millions of Jews.This free online course was produced jointly by Tel Aviv University and Yad Vashem – the World Holocaust Remembrance Center. This course is the second of the two courses and covers three themes in its three weeks:

Week 1: The Final Solution We’ll look at the cultural and mental processes that paved the way to the comprehensive and systematic mass murder of Jews in Europe – that is, the Final Solution. As part of this hard lesson we will discuss the various characteristics of the murder sites and death camps, and reveal selected aspects of the horror that occurred in them.

Week 2: Jewish and Non-Jewish Responses to the Holocaust We will try to explore questions regarding knowledge about the application of the Final Solution, as well as a variety of responses and annihilation of victims, local populations and perpetrators.

Week 3: The End of the War We will dedicate this lesson to the events that occurred in the last years of the Holocaust, as well as questions of memory, commemoration and future research.

We strongly recommend that you register for “The Holocaust - An Introduction (I): Nazi Germany: Ideology, The Jews and the World” as well (https://www.coursera.org/learn/holocaust-introduction-1/home/welcome) . Taking both parts of the course would enable you to obtain a fuller and more comprehensive knowledge about The Holocaust.

This online course is offered in an innovative, multi-level format, comprising:

Comprehensive lectures by leading researchers from Tel Aviv University and Yad Vashem. A wealth of voices and viewpoints presented by guest lecturers Numerous documents, photos, testimonies and works of art from the time of the Holocaust. Novel learning experience: Crowdsourcing – involving the learners themselves in the act of collecting and shaping information, via unique, exciting online assignments.

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Syllabus

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week 1
The Final Solution and the Drive for Eliminating All Jews and All Perceived Jewish “Influences”
Week 2
Jewish and Non-Jewish Responses to the Holocaust
Week 3
The Free World, the last months, the Aftermath and the Implications

FAQ

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?

Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:

What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?

When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.

Is financial aid available?

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

Reviews

Fantastic quantity and depth of information. Easy to understand but challenging enough to make you really think. Would recommend!

This course is so informative and easy to work through! I love the video lectures and that they are time manageable even for a busy mom like me!

Excellent course. Really well taught. Encourages participation and thought by the student. Wide range of very good resources in both part 1 and part 2. Thank you very much!

Thank you for bringing such an extremely difficult subject to us in a knowledgeable and dignified way. I learned so much about a time in history that I did not really understand.