Historical Knowledge and Existential Knowing

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Historical Knowledge and Existential Knowing

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Korn,
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Leifer,

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This document outlines a proposed course titled "Historical Knowledge and Existential Knowing," which explores the complexities of understanding the Holocaust. The course challenges the assumption that increased data automatically leads to deeper comprehension. It intends to compare two historians, Israel Gutman (a survivor) and Christopher Browning (an academic), to analyze how their differing backgrounds influence their historical interpretations. The course then contrasts this with novelists, examining how the personal experiences of Elie Wiesel (a survivor) and William Styron (a non-survivor) shape their narratives and affect reader perception. Finally, the course proposes to juxtapose historical accounts and literary writings about the Łódź Ghetto, specifically referencing "The Chronicle of the Lodz Ghetto" and Issiah Spiegel's short stories, to investigate how events are documented by historians versus portrayed by novelists. The overall aim is to delve into how various forms of knowledge and personal experience shape the understanding of the Holocaust.

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English
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EWG_1414_01_089-090
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