Teaching about economic crises transforms history into a key tool for understanding contemporary challenges. It encourages students to explore multiple perspectives which are essential to grasping the complexity of the topic and for preventing the repetition of past mistakes. Integrating the study of economic crises into history education helps students sharpen their critical thinking skills, understand the origins and consequences of economic collapse, and analyse contemporary economic issues - preparing them to actively engage in debates about the future of European societies.
During its 5th Annual Conference, the Observatory on History Teaching in Europe (OHTE) will publish its second Thematic Report on "Economic Crises in History Teaching". Under the supervision of the Scientific Advisory Council, this report is the result of an extensive collaboration involving the education authorities of the OHTE member states and experts from the Leibniz Institute for Educational Media / Georg-Eckert-Institute in Brunswick. The report provides an overview of how economic crises, their origins and impact on societies, are taught in secondary level history education.
"History at All Costs" also stresses the fundamental importance of history education – an essential investment in understanding the world and shaping the future. History is not merely a record of past events; it is a critical tool that enables the analysis of choices, successes, and failures of societies. Neglecting or devaluing history education carries a high democratic cost, such as ignorance, an inability to recognise recurring pitfalls, and the manipulation of facts. Without a solid grounding in history, societies risk losing the tools needed to navigate present challenges and shape a just, democratic future.
Therefore, "History at All Costs" underscores the urgency and importance of delivering rigorous, critical, and accessible historical knowledge, as a society that forgets its past deprives itself of the tools needed to build its future on strong democratic foundations.
In the spotlight this year:
"TEACHING HISTORY IN A WORLD WITHOUT CONSENSUS" - OHTE Talk by Yascha Mounk
"HISTORY AND POLITICS - THE UNBREAKABLE BOND" - OHTE Debate
"ECONOMIC CRISES IN HISTORY TEACHING" - New OHTE Thematic Report - official release on 16/10 at 9h30
In line with the New Democratic Pact proposed by the Council of Europe, this year’s OHTE Annual Conference will promote quality history teaching as a powerful tool for enhancing democracy by deepening our understanding of our shared pasts – with the ultimate goal of ensuring a peaceful future.
The Observatory in the Media