A visit to the site of a former concentration camp has been declared mandatory for all pupils in State-run schools in Bavaria, party as an antidote against neo-Nazi propaganda.
The precedent-setting decision was taken by the ruling conservative Christian Social Union (CSU) in cooperation with the opposition Social Democratic Party (SPD). The idea originated with an SPD member of the Bavarian legislature, Peter Kurz, a trade union activist.
It is part of the preparations for and studies about the Nazi era and may include student meeting with survivors of Nazi persecution. Kurz said the timing of his initiative coincided with the increased efforts by neo-Nazi groups to attract members among German youths.
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