The tragedy of the holocaust in Lithuania: from the roots of the identity to the efforts towards reconciliation

Abstract

The relationship of each State with the Holocaust is twofold. Each selfrespecting and democratic State, which recognizes international human rights, makes all efforts that this painful period of history is known to the public and to future generations. Secondly, the perception of the holocaust directly depends on the individual relationship each society has with the tragedy of the criminal act. This means that education about the Holocaust should go beyond the simple integration of specific programmes into the system of a state education, but the success of such programmes is dependent on the fact of how the society in question treats the historical, political, social and legal context of the holocaust. No less important is an evaluation of the impact which the holocaust makes to the development of society and the state.