Memory and literature in informal learning spaces

A methodological approach to Balázs Zágoni's novel The Star and the Captain

Abstract

This study examines, through a concrete pedagogical case, how the memory of the Holocaust can be conveyed in education by integrating literature with informal learning spaces. Focusing on the extracurricular pedagogical use of Balázs Zágoni’s young adult novel The Star and the Captain, the research highlights how a narrative, experience-based approach can complement formal curricular frameworks. The methodology is based on qualitative analysis, including a review of curricula and textbooks, a pedagogical interpretation of the novel, and the reflective use of task sheets connected to an informal learning environment—the Holocaust Memorial Center—within the framework of a higher education course. The findings suggest that child-centered literary narratives and tasks drawing on visual sources effectively foster emotional engagement, empathetic understanding, and the awareness of moral dilemmas. A limitation of the study is that it does not rely on empirical data collection or a representative sample; its conclusions are based on pedagogical experience and qualitative observation. In conclusion, the case study offers a flexible methodological model that supports an emotionally sensitive yet pedagogically reflective approach to Holocaust education through the integration of contemporary young adult literature and informal learning spaces.