The channel I run cannot take place of lessons given in school.
Susanne Siegert operates a TikTok account dedicated to educating people about Nazi atrocities. With her brief videos, she reaches a significant audience. She clarifies how the Holocaust can be explained in 90 seconds on the platform. In her clips, Siegert also interprets emojis or number codes that conceal right-wing, racist, or antisemitic content. In an interview with ntv.de, she discusses how she strikes the right balance between the platform's language and the gravity of the material.
ntv.de: Through your TikTok account, keine.erinnerungskultur, you educate individuals about Nazi crimes. Don't schools cover this already?
Susanne Siegert: I didn't launch the account with the goal of informing people. About four years ago, I started researching the Mühldorf forced labor camp. This was a forced labor camp in my hometown. The former site is approximately 20 kilometers from my parents' home in Bavaria. The disturbing realization that this place played a role in mass murder and devastation during my childhood drove me to research it more.
You initially shared this realization on Instagram.
That's how I initially reached fewer individuals. I was unsure of how the subject would adapt to TikTok. I just gave it a try. My first video on TikTok garnered several hundred thousand views. This inspired me to continue investigating Nazi crimes.
Is additional instruction required beyond what schools provide?
My channel can't replace the school curriculum or memorial site visits. I see my videos as a complementary resource. Since school courses and memorial site visits are highly regulated and time-restricted, not every adolescent is prepared to engage with the subject at that moment. Ideally, there would be projects in which students could investigate and perhaps even research in their own communities. For this, there is often no time in the curriculum. As a result, more initiatives from foundations and memorial sites are required. That's where I see the advantage of my videos. I can address smaller, personal concerns with my videos.
What's your stance on the AfD's TikTok activities?
There are accounts that criticize the AfD, and they should be allowed to exist. However, it's equally crucial to establish your own topics. I create my content independent of the AfD.
You have nearly 200,000 followers. How do you achieve such a large audience?
My content is low-threshold and relatable. I don't judge or accuse my viewers of insufficient knowledge. I take my audience on my research journey and share my thoughts and emotions with them. While many influencers produce content about lifestyles on TikTok, I'm not one of them. Nevertheless, I observe how they create and style their videos, which contributes to my popularity.
How do you engage with the Holocaust Education on TikTok?
I avoid sensational content in my videos. I rarely use graphic images from liberated concentration camps, which depict mass graves. Instead, I focus on the experiences of individual people. I also pay close attention to my tone when discussing this topic. TikTok is known for disseminating misinformation. As such, this subject risks being defamed or trivialized on the app. To maintain credibility, I verify my sources and cite them in my videos. By blurring my sources, users can trust them and verify their credibility. I generally rely on the two-source principle.
What sources do you use?
I sources are original, such as those found in the Arolsen Archives Online, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, and Yad Vashem. All of these databases are publicly accessible and contain meticulously documented, even recorded, Nazi crimes. These documents are invaluable to researchers like me. When using documents from the perpetrators' perspectives, I ensure the language remains devoid of Nazi sentiment while explaining any discriminatory words. I also collaborate with survivor stories, giving voices to the victims. Additionally, I'm committed to comprehensive research for accuracy.
Critics argue that my "Coffee and Cake with a Holocaust Survivor" title seems too casual. It may appear trivializing to some. However, I use this approach, including emojis and slang, to connect better with the targeted audience. I'm aware it might be strange, but I believe it's helps drive engagement with the subject.
Finding a balance between respect for the topic and algorithmic rules is essential. I've had to reevaluate how I present my content lately. In a recent video, I demonstrated the term "asocial," showcasing a scene from a popular TV show where the term is mentioned multiple times. I would've questioned whether I wanted to showcase this before, but I'm more uninhibited now. Being authentic is crucial for reaching my audience.
Several symbols and slogans have emerged in right-wing communities. Some of these symbols were already familiar to me, like '88' symbolizing 'Heil Hitler.' Educating viewers on these matters is vital.
I was aware of some symbols before launching my project. Yet, I continue to encounter new ones surfacing regularly. I feel it's necessary to inform the public. In one video, I disclosed the meaning behind the comment, "Never lose your smile." This was a reference to the SS-Totenkopf-Division, responsible for guarding concentration camps and displaying a grinning skull emblem.
Some comments I encountered include right-wing symbols or slogans. These comments significantly differed from my usual viewers. When I receive genuine inquiries, I welcome discussions. However, if I notice consistent hateful or abusive messages, I have no intention of exchanging views with such individuals.
There have been cases where comments blatantly denied the Holocaust. Such individuals didn't meet my exchange criteria, so I reported them.
An example of a comment denying the Holocaust was one person claiming it was a myth. Typically, these users also mentioned they couldn't be traced by authorities. These instances frustrate me, especially when the process gets truncated.
I haven't felt any fear due to these encounters. I've come to learn these individuals are brazen in the virtual space but lack comparable courage in the actual world.
Photo credit: laj dimitriu - Pexels
Resources:
- Arolsen Archives Online (https://www.arolsen-archives.org/)
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (https://www.ushmm.org/)
- Yad Vashem, "The World Holocaust Remembrance Center" (https://www.yadvashem.org/)
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Susanne Siegert's TikTok videos on National Socialism and the Holocaust receive hate comments, showing the persistence of right-wing extremism on social media. Despite this, she continues to use emojis and slang to engage her audience and educate them about historical symbols and slogans associated with hate groups. In her mission to commemorate the Holocaust, she draws on resources like the Arolsen Archives Online, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, and Yad Vashem, recognizing the importance of accurate historical information in the face of misinformation spread online. Her approach has resonated with a large audience, with nearly 200,000 followers, although she faces challenges balancing the platform's language rules with the gravity of her subject matter.
Siegert's channel serves as a complement to school lessons and memorial site visits, aiming to fill a gap in education for adolescents who may not be ready to engage with the subject at that moment. She emphasizes the need for more initiatives from foundations and memorial sites to address this gap and provide holistic education. While her approach to Holocaust education on TikTok may seem unconventional, with titles like "Coffee and Cake with a Holocaust Survivor," she argues that it helps drive engagement with a sensitive topic that is often trivialized or misrepresented on social media.
Siegert is a critic of the AfD's TikTok activities, emphasizing the importance of creating one's topics independent of political parties. She notes that while there are accounts that critique the AfD, it's equally important to establish one's own voice within the platform. Despite receiving hateful comments and dealing with right-wing extremism, she maintains a steadfast commitment to her mission of educating the public about the Holocaust and Nashazi atrocities. Her dedication to historically accurate information and her unique approach to Holocaust education on TikTok demonstrates the potential of social media to engage audiences in meaningful historical discussions.
Source: www.ntv.de
