This project was designed to educate students on the lives and legacies of Croatian Jews from Osijek and surrounds, including industrialist and politician Vid Morpurgo who died in 1911, textile artist Otti Berger who died at Auschwitz, and sculptor Oscar Nemon who escaped from Nazi occupation to England – all extraordinary individuals but fundamentally unknown.

Students visited a Jewish cemetery and Jewish cultural sites, attended a workshop on Jewish clothing, as well as screenings of educational films. They listened to interviews and went on educational walks. The project developed students’ exploration, presentation, and communication skills, whilst their research enabled them to connect local history within a wider global context.

To consolidate their learning, the students created artwork expressing their understanding of the concepts of cultural identity and multiculturalism. The students also created a comic strip about Oscar Nemon, turning their research into a story, writing the script and drawing the characters. They also made a powerful presentation about their “Known, Yet Unknown” heroes.

The students shared their learnings via a presentation to the rest of the school, whilst the teachers have been sharing the project with other schools, both in Croatia and internationally. The school has done television and radio interviews and has also led “Trace of Oscar,” historical walking tours around the area focused on the life of Oscar Nemon.