Seventy years after the end of the Holocaust, the mass genocide of approximately six million innocent people is still an emotive subject. Particularly with people who were alive during the Second World War and can remember the stories as they emerged. It is also incredibly difficult to write a research paper on the subject without falling into the trap of walking well-trodden ground.
Because it is so widely documented, then The Holocaust is widely regarded as a “safe” subject to choose, especially for students who are new to a particular course and are still finding their feet. There is, after all, an abundance of material to choose from, and countless survivor accounts to pore over and analyse. There is nothing wrong with choosing a subject such as this. In fact, it makes sense in many ways. The challenge is finding that fresh angle from which the basis of your research paper will be formed. The aim being to not only catch the attention of your lecturer, but also do justice to the survivors and the memories of those that died.
Research can sometimes be viewed as tedious, but as any good researcher will tell you finding a new angle on a well-documented subject, is like striking gold.
If you are still in need of a little inspiration, then I have compiled a list of topics that you might want to explore in a little more depth. Feel free to run with them and wander slightly off the beaten track:
- The Holocaust is widely perceived as a Jewish Tragedy. How did non-Jews suffer in the aftermath?
- In the wake of the Paris attacks and the recent rise of Anti-Semitism in Europe, are memories of The Holocaust responsible for Jews relocating back to Israel?
- Were world leaders guilty of turning a blind eye to the plight of Jews during The Holocaust and can any parallels be drawn between the present-day crisis in the Middle-East?
- Is enough being done to track down and bring to justice Nazi War criminals that may still be alive? Is this relevant when the world is facing new terror threats? Discuss.
- Is there any substance to claims made by Holocaust deniers, and should people who deny that it happened be given any publicity?
- Is there any evidence to support claims that some Nazi’s helped Jews escape the Holocaust?
- What therapies were put in place to help survivors of The Holocaust? Could more have been done?
- How much money was spent on financing the concentration camps and where did that money come from?