As part of the cooperation between Drohobych Ivan Franko State Pedagogical University and Lincoln Bishop University (England), Dr. Alan Malpass gave an online lecture on the topic “The Braintree Experiment: Introducing the ‘British Way of Life’ to German Prisoners of War, 1945–1948”. The lecture was organized for history students who had the opportunity to get acquainted with the post-war initiative of the British authorities aimed at the so-called “re-education” and democratization of German prisoners of war held in a camp near the town of Braintree (Essex County).
This program went down in history under the name “Braintree Experiment”. During the lecture, Dr. Malpass dwelt on the goal of the project – to familiarize prisoners with the British way of life, political values, social norms and elements of everyday culture in order to overcome the remnants of the Nazi worldview and form the basis for the future democratic development of the Federal Republic of Germany. The experiment included lectures and discussions, cultural and sports events, controlled contacts with local residents, public work outside the camp, which created a kind of model of managed social integration.
The moderators of the online meeting were Vice-Rector Ihor Hrynyk and Professor Oleh Petrechko. During the discussion, the participants discussed a comparison of the British program with similar initiatives of other allied states, in particular France, as well as the available evidence on the impact of the “Braintree Experiment” on the subsequent political and social views of repatriated prisoners of war. Participation in such events gives students the opportunity to directly become acquainted with international academic discourse, modern research approaches and current methods of historical analysis, expanding their own scientific worldview and experience of intercultural communication.
Continuing cooperation between Droobch Ivan Franko State Pedagogical University and Lincoln Bishop University provides for further joint lectures and seminars, student participation in international educational projects, as well as the development of academic mobility and exchange programs.
