The Majority Of Respondents In Almost Every
Country Surveyed Feel Something Like The Holocaust Could Happen
Again; A Majority Of Respondents Also Show Strong Desire For
Holocaust Education
NEW
YORK, Jan. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The
Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims
Conference) today released the first-ever,
eight-country Index on Holocaust Knowledge and
Awareness, exposing a global trend in fading knowledge of
basic facts about the Holocaust. The countries surveyed include the
United States, the
United Kingdom, France, Austria, Germany, Poland, Hungary and Romania.
The majority of respondents in each country, except Romania, believe something like the Holocaust
(another mass genocide against Jewish people) could happen again
today. Concern is highest in the
United States, where more than three-quarters (76%) of all
adults surveyed believe something like the Holocaust could happen
again today, followed by the U.K. at 69%, France at 63%, Austria at 62%, Germany at 61%, Poland at 54%, Hungary at 52%, and Romania at 44%.
Shockingly, some adults surveyed say that they had not heard
or weren't sure if they had heard of the Holocaust (Shoah) prior to
taking the survey. This is amplified among young adults ages
18-29 who are the most recent reflection of local education
systems; when surveyed, they indicated that they had not heard or
weren't sure if they had heard of the Holocaust (Shoah):
France (46%), Romania (15%), Austria (14%) and Germany (12%). Additionally, while
Auschwitz-Birkenau is the most well-known camp, nearly half (48%)
of Americans surveyed are unable to name a single camp or ghetto
established by the Nazis during World War II.
On a more positive note, there is overwhelming support for
Holocaust education. Across all countries surveyed, nine-in-10
or more adults believe it is important to continue teaching about
the Holocaust, in part, so it does not happen again.
Gideon Taylor, President of
the Claims Conference. "The alarming gaps in knowledge,
particularly among younger generations, highlight an urgent need
for more effective Holocaust education. The fact that a significant
number of adults cannot identify basic facts—such as the 6 million
Jews who perished—is deeply concerning. Equally troubling is the
widespread belief that something like the Holocaust could happen
again, underscoring the critical importance of educating people
about the consequences of unchecked hatred and bigotry. We are
proud of the progress made by our partners worldwide, but this
Index makes it clear: there is still much more work to be
done."
While overall awareness about the Holocaust is high across the
majority of the countries surveyed, Holocaust distortion is also
high. Overall, a majority of all populations surveyed did not know
that 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust. 20% or more
respondents in seven out of the eight countries surveyed believe 2
million or fewer Jews were murdered during the Holocaust with
Romania falling at 28%,
Hungary at 27%, and Poland at 24%. What makes this even more
surprising is that nearly 3 million of those murdered during the
Holocaust were from Poland.
Respondents in Germany fared the
best with this question but still a surprising 18% of respondents
from Germany believe that 2
million or fewer Jews were killed during the Holocaust.
Greg Schneider, Claims
Conference Executive Vice President, said, "With the Holocaust
survivor population rapidly declining, we are at a critical and
irreversible crossroad. Survivors, our most powerful educators,
will not be with us much longer—and this Index is a stark warning
that without urgent and sustained action, the history and lessons
of the Holocaust risk slipping into obscurity. This is our final
chance, our last moment in history, to honor their legacy by
ensuring that our commitment to remembering their experiences is
unshakable and unwavering."
Matthew Bronfman, Index
Taskforce Lead, said, "As we continue to delve into these
surveys and understand better where Holocaust education is working
and where it requires attention, it is powerful to see that a
majority of all people polled across all countries in this index
not only agree that Holocaust education is important, but want to
continue teaching the Holocaust in schools. Now our task is clear;
we must take this mandate and make it happen."
KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE:
- A majority of adults across almost all countries surveyed
believe something like the Holocaust could happen again today.
In the U.S., more than three-quarters (76%) of all adults surveyed
believe something like the Holocaust could happen again today. This
sentiment is echoed in the U.K (69%), France (63%), Austria (62%), Germany (61%), Poland (54%), and Hungary (52%). In Romania, 44% of adults surveyed believe
something like the Holocaust could happen again today.
- Across countries surveyed, large swaths of the population do
not know that 6 million Jews were killed during the Holocaust, and
notable subsets of the populations believe 2 million or fewer Jews
were killed. Participants who believe that 2 million or fewer
Jews were killed include 28% in Romania, 27% in Hungary, 24% in Poland, 21% in France, the U.S. and Austria, and 20% in the U.K., and 18% in
Germany.
- One in five French adults say that they had not heard or
weren't sure if they had heard of the Shoah prior to taking the
survey.
- A notable portion of young adults ages 18-29 had not heard
of the Holocaust in France
(46%), Romania (15%),
Austria (14%) and Germany (12%).
- Across countries surveyed, 18–29-year-olds are more likely to
believe that the number of Jews killed during the Holocaust has
been exaggerated.
- When asked to name concentration camps, killing centers
(death camps), killing sites, transit camps or ghettos, nearly half
(48%) of Americans could not name a single one of the more than
40,000 camps established during World War II. One-quarter of
adults in the U.K., France and
Romania, and 26% of all
respondents, could not name a single camp or ghetto, while in
Germany and Hungary it was 18%, in Austria 10%, and in Poland 7%. Auschwitz-Birkenau is the most
well-known camp or ghetto.
- Across countries, a sizeable share of the population does
not believe the number of Jews killed in the Holocaust has been
accurately described. Survey participants who disagree that the
Holocaust happened and the number of Jews who were killed has been
accurately and fairly described are 25% in France and Austria, 24% in Germany, 23% in Poland and Romania, 19% in Hungary, 17% in the U.K., and 16% in the
U.S.
- Notably, in Romania, of
adults ages 18 to 29, 53% agree that the Holocaust happened, but
the number of Jews who were killed in the Holocaust has been
greatly exaggerated. Comparatively, this number was 22% in
Hungary, 33% in France, 14% in Poland, 21% in Austria, 13% in Germany, 15% in the U.S., and 11% in the
U.K.
- Overall, Americans and Hungarians are most likely to report
that Holocaust denial is common in their countries. In
Hungary, 45% of all survey
participants state that denial is common in their country. This is
followed by 44% in the U.S., 38% in France, 34% in Germany, 27% in Austria, 24% in the U.K. and Romania, and 20% in Poland.
- Nearly half of adults in the U.S. (49%), Hungary (47%), France (44%) and Germany (44%) report that Holocaust distortion
is common in their country. The results in the additional
countries surveyed: Austria (34%),
Poland (27%), the U.K. (26%), and
Romania (25%) feel it is less
so.
- Across countries, when asked if they had encountered
Holocaust denial or distortion while on social media, nearly half
(47%) of Polish adults said "yes." In Austria and Hungary this number was 38%, in Germany 37%, in the U.S. 33%, in Romania 25%, in the U.K. 23%, and in
France 20%.
- Across all countries, an overwhelming majority of adults
surveyed, (9-in-10 or more), believe it is important to continue
teaching about the Holocaust. In the U.S. and Poland, this number was 96%, in the U.K. and
Germany 94%, in France and Romania 93%, in Hungary 91%, and Austria 90%.
- Likewise, there is a strong desire for Holocaust education
in schools. The U.S. was the highest with 95% of all adults
surveyed, 93% in Poland, 92% in
the U.K., 91% in France, 88% in
Hungary, 87% in Germany, 84% in Austria, and 78% in Romania.
To access the executive summary and top line data for this index
, please visit: www.claimscon.org/country-survey
Survey Taskforce:
The Eight-Country Index of
Holocaust Knowledge and Awareness taskforce was led by
Claims Conference Board member Matthew
Bronfman and comprised historians and subject matter experts
from museums, educational institutions, and leading nonprofits in
the field of Holocaust education, including Yad Vashem, the United
States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Claims Conference.
Taskforce members, including representatives from each of the
countries, are as follows:
Task force Chair, Matthew Bronfman, Philippe Allouche, Jochen Boehler, Daniel Botmann, Ana Bǎrbulescu,
Richelle Budd Caplan, Robert Ejnes, Shila
Erlbaum, Alexandru Florian,
Stuart Foster, Abraham Foxman, Jacques
Fredj, Christian Fuhrmeister,
Deborah Hartmann, Łucja Koch,
David Marwell, Michael Feuer, Karen
Pollock, Patrick Siegele,
Gretchen Skidmore, Andrea Szőnyi,
Galith Touati, Piotr Trojański, Felicia
Waldman, Mark Weitzman,
Robert Williams, Andras Zima
Survey Methodology and Sample:
The Eight-Country
Index of Holocaust Knowledge and Awareness was commissioned
by the Claims Conference. Data was collected by Global Strategy
Group, with a representative sample of 1,000 adults in each country
ages 18 and over between November 15,
2023, to November 28, 2023.
Countries included: United States,
the United Kingdom, France, Austria, Germany, Poland, Hungary, and Romania. The margin of error is +/- 3.1%.
For more information about the Claims Conference, please visit:
www.claimscon.org
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