Huesca, June 2, 2025. The Huesca Book Fair hosted the official presentation of Teaching the Holocaust, a collective work coordinated by University of Zaragoza professor Miguel Ángel Pallarés. The event, introduced by historian Darío Español from the Faculty of Human Sciences and Education in Huesca, was part of the activities organized by the Huesca Campus at the fair, which opened on the evening of Monday, June 2.
Described as a “reference work” by Español, the book addresses the educational treatment of the Holocaust and brings together contributions from around twenty scholars, including historians, educators, political scientists, archaeologists, and experts in literature and film history. The volume provides historical context, study resources, analyses of controversial issues such as the management of Holocaust-related heritage, and educational initiatives for teaching about the Holocaust across different disciplines.
“Addressing the Holocaust in the classroom is an exercise in study and remembrance that fosters fundamental values for coexistence, such as tolerance and empathy,” said Pallarés. “It also encourages a stance against racism and discrimination, which is more necessary than ever in our society.” He hopes the book will inspire reflection, helping to equip citizens with critical thinking tools and ultimately contributing—through education—to ensuring that such atrocities never happen again.
Published by Prensas Universitarias, the book’s contributions aim to support a true didactic effort to counter denialism and trivialization, both in formal and non-formal education. As Pallarés pointed out, while the Holocaust was devastating for the Jewish population, it also severely affected many other groups, such as the Roma people and left-wing political dissidents.
Placing democratic values and respect for diversity at the heart of education is essential in today’s world, argues the Zaragoza-based professor. He believes that the book’s content also offers valuable insights for teaching about other instances of aggression against human groups, including current events. In fact, the situation in Palestine became a focal point during the post-presentation discussion between the audience and the two campus historians.
Miguel Ángel Pallarés, coordinator of the book, is a professor in the Department of Specific Didactics at the University of Zaragoza. He has also organized two academic symposia, in 2020 and 2023, focusing on teaching the Holocaust and on the humanitarian work of Aragonese diplomat Ángel Sanz Briz, who helped rescue numerous Jews from Nazi persecution in Hungary. Pallarés has studied at Yad Vashem in Israel and the Żydowski Instytut Historyczny in Warsaw, and conducts research in both history and the didactics of social sciences.
The list of contributors includes José Antonio Lisbona, Ana Asión, Jacob Israel Garzón, Julio Gracia Lana, Santiago López Rodríguez, Yessica San Román, Myriam Martín Cáceres, and David González Vázquez, among others.
