Welcome.
I am Melanie Carina Schmoll.

Melanie Carina Schmoll Holocaust Education publications

Latest Publications

March 2026

New book

“Judentum, Christentum und Islam im Mittelalter” (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in the Middle Ages), comprehensive teaching units including didactic commentary, teacher’s manual, student assignments, and answer keys, developed in cooperation with Raabe publishing

March 2026

New article

Between Frontlines and Memory:

A Postcard from...

In my latest article, I write about a visit to the Military Museums in Calgary. Thank you very much for the wonderful collaboration with

Contingent Magazine!

New teaching material

„Religionen und Religionsfreiheit in Deutschland, Unterrichtsmaterialien und Lehrerhandreichung“ / Religions and Living Together in Germany, teaching materials and teacher's guide, in collaboration with Eduversum Verlag.

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Media appearance

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Commemorating January 27: International Holocaust Remembrance Day - Alberta Jewish News

Read the latest news about my work on International Holocaust Remembrance Day - Alberta Jewish News

Listen to the latest interview I gave on CBC about my work.

Read the latest interview I gave to Alberta Jewish News.

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Preview: Hatred of Jews-A Failure of Holocaust Education?

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Portfolio

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Learn more about my portfolio!
The entire range of my work in an overview with easy-to-find information.

Blog

Melanie Carina Schmoll Holocaust Education author and editor

What is the Holocaust? How does Holocaust education work in the 21st century? Does Holocaust education need to be revisited?What is anti-Semitism? Who is an anti-Semite? Where does anti-Semitism begin? Why do I use the term “hatred of Jews” and not “anti-Semitism”? - These and other questions are part of my daily work. You can find out more about this in a biweekly blog.

All posts

Where Spring Begins: On Easter Fires and Their Origins

There are moments in the year that don’t arrive with a date on the calendar, but with a feeling. You don’t notice them all at once—they creep in quietly. A certain smell in the air, a shift in the light, a sound you haven’t heard in months. And suddenly, without quite knowing when it happened, something has changed. For me, that moment comes not with the first warm day, not with the first blossoms, and not even with the official start of spring. It comes later—more subtly, bu

The End of Democracy – and How to Fight It

What Democracy Really Means Democracy means rule by the people. This statement, as well known as it is often misunderstood, still captures the essence of what democracies are based on: the will of the people and their right to self-determination. But the will of the people alone is not enough. Democracy extends beyond institutions and elections. It shapes political debates and the everyday lives of people living within democratic systems. In this sense, democracy is not merel

The Failure of the So-Called United Nations

The United Nations emerged in 1945 from the conviction that the catastrophes of the first half of the twentieth century could not be prevented merely through a balance of power, but required a legally bound international order. This hope drew on ideas developed by Immanuel Kant, who in Perpetual Peace (1795) argued that a federation of states, governed by shared rules and republican constitutions, could make lasting peace possible. In the twentieth century, this line of thou

Deliberately Anti-Jewish

Some television segments are not simply misguided; they are revealing. They expose not just poor taste, but an underlying attitude. The segment aired on The Stefan Raab Show on January 27 belongs to this category. What was broadcast was not an unthinking provocation, but a deliberately staged piece that drew on anti-Jewish imagery and narratives—and did so knowingly, in order to generate attention. Hatred of Jews on German TV A Television Segment as a Conscious Transgression

Security in an Era of Strategic Upheaval

The international order is not merely in a phase of instability. The term Zeitenwende , frequently cited in Germany, refers to a transformed security-policy reality: military capabilities and alliance commitments constitute central categories of the capacity to act politically (Schmoll, 2025). Against this backdrop, I argue that current geopolitical developments, particularly with regard to Greenland and the Arctic region, are not marginal issues. From my perspective as a Nor

Instead of a Blog Post

An excerpt from my book Hatred of Jews-A Failure of Holocaust Education? on the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27. On January 27, we commemorate the victims of the Holocaust worldwide. This day not only recalls the unprecedented crimes of National Socialism, but also our responsibility to pass on knowledge, protect historical truth, and empower people to recognize and confront hatred of Jews and exclusion. On this occasion, I am making an exc

When Words Become Dangerous – between Grundgesetz and History.

Debates about free speech in Germany often flare up where history, law, and present-day politics collide. A recent ruling by the Higher Administrative Court of Münster has done exactly that, reopening the question of what kinds of political speech a democratic state must tolerate—even when that speech targets the very existence of another state. The case touches on more than legal technicalities; it forces Germany to confront the tension between constitutional principles and

What a Coloring Book Reveals About the Power of Educational Materials

In this post, I take a closer look at how seemingly harmless educational materials—even a playful children’s coloring book—can solidify simplified political narratives and shape perceptions long before critical thinking develops. Drawing on my long-standing research, I explain why German school textbooks may not express open hostility, yet still present limited and often distorted views of Jews, Judaism, and Israel. And I outline what needs to change so that education becomes

A New Course in German Remembrance Policy - finally.

Sometimes you only realize in retrospect that you had almost grown accustomed to a political imbalance. That was exactly the feeling I had when I read the new memorial site program presented by Minister of State for Culture, Weimer (CDU). One senses in it a clarity that German remembrance policy had increasingly lost in recent years. Since the cabinet decision was issued in November 2025 , it has become clearer than ever how strongly Weimer’s approach differs from the previou

Hatred of Jews: The Collapse of Rousseau’s Social Contract

Rousseau believed that a just society rests on a shared moral bond: the contrat social . But what happens when hatred turns citizens into enemies? The global rise of hatred of Jews shows that the social contract can die not with a revolution, but with indifference. When the Political “We” Disintegrates Few ideas have shaped modern political thought as profoundly as Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s vision of the contrat social . Written in 1762, Du contrat social ou Principes du droit

Mentoring in History and Historical Thinking

I offer individual mentoring for people who wish to engage more deeply with history or further develop their historical thinking and writing. In a personal and flexible setting, I support you in contextualising historical topics, sharpening your own questions, and gaining confidence in engaging with the past and the present. Perhaps you have been interested in historical questions for a long time, would like to develop your

own project, or need support with a text or manuscript? Perhaps you are looking for a space in which to think about history beyond formal educational pathways?

I offer such a space through conversation, reading, and shared reflection.

The mentoring is intentionally informal and individually tailored. It can take place one to one or in a small, private group and is adapted to your interests, prior knowledge, and personal goals.

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Dr. Melanie Carina Schmoll, M.A.

Historian specialized in Holocaust education.

Academic. Publicist. Creative. Speaker.

Welcome.
I am Melanie Carina Schmoll.

Latest Publications

Media appearance

Preview: Hatred of Jews-A Failure of Holocaust Education?

DrSchmoll_talk_2020_intro

Dr. Schmoll_GlobalNews

Portfolio

Learn more about my portfolio!
The entire range of my work in an overview with easy-to-find information.

Blog

Where Spring Begins: On Easter Fires and Their Origins

The End of Democracy – and How to Fight It

The Failure of the So-Called United Nations

Deliberately Anti-Jewish

Security in an Era of Strategic Upheaval

Instead of a Blog Post

When Words Become Dangerous – between Grundgesetz and History.

What a Coloring Book Reveals About the Power of Educational Materials

A New Course in German Remembrance Policy - finally.

Hatred of Jews: The Collapse of Rousseau’s Social Contract

Mentoring in History and Historical Thinking

Welcome. I am Melanie Carina Schmoll.

Latest Publications

Media appearance

Preview: Hatred of Jews-A Failure of Holocaust Education?

DrSchmoll_talk_2020_intro

Dr. Schmoll_GlobalNews

Portfolio

Learn more about my portfolio! The entire range of my work in an overview with easy-to-find information.

Blog

Where Spring Begins: On Easter Fires and Their Origins

The End of Democracy – and How to Fight It

The Failure of the So-Called United Nations

Deliberately Anti-Jewish

Security in an Era of Strategic Upheaval

Instead of a Blog Post

When Words Become Dangerous – between Grundgesetz and History.

What a Coloring Book Reveals About the Power of Educational Materials

A New Course in German Remembrance Policy - finally.

Hatred of Jews: The Collapse of Rousseau’s Social Contract

Mentoring in History and Historical Thinking

​

Welcome.
I am Melanie Carina Schmoll.

Learn more about my portfolio!
The entire range of my work in an overview with easy-to-find information.