13 Driver's Licenses

Germany has an exemplary culture of remembrance, but the 13 Driver’s Licenses story is unique even for Germany. High school students begin their project with no knowledge but the names and photos on the discovered driver’s licenses. During nine months of research, they experience intense emotions from curiosity and excitement to intense heartache and grief when they find out that some of the driver’s license holders had been murdered in the Holocaust . . . to elation at finding out that some had escaped, the fear of rejection when contacting the surviving descendants, and finally joy at inviting and meeting them and forming budding friendships. The story is equally emotional for the surviving descendants. Many had no knowledge of their ancestors’ past in Germany as they had never talked about their experience—too painful had been the memories of families and friends being murdered, and of escaping and leaving everything behind. The students’ research gave them their family history back.

The students’ research had far-reaching impact—on the students themselves, on the town, on the descendants, and on Jewish/German relations. Modern-day Germans and Jewish descendants were reunited in remembrance, reconciliation, and friendship.

The story is relevant today as an example of remembrance that could be applied to contexts in other countries, where war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed and not been processed. It is ultimately a story of hope that a tragic past can be transcended and that reconciliation is possible.