Everyone knows Albert Einstein: the outstretched tongue, the wild hairstyle, the genius behind E=mc². But who knows Mileva Marić? His first wife was a physicist herself. There are indications and discussions as to whether and to what extent she contributed to his theoretical work. She now appears in viral videos on TikTok, but remains unmentioned in many textbooks.
In this episode of Schampar digital, we talk with Alexandra Krebs from the PH Zurich about historical narratives in the digital space. We ask whether TikTok can contribute to historical education, what perspectives the platform opens up and what narratives it might reinforce. We also look at how young people deal with contradictory representations and what skills we all need to be able to classify history online.
Alexandra Krebs provides examples from her research, explains the importance of deconstruction skills and why it is so important to understand history as something constructed and negotiable.
Alexandra Krebs teaches and researches history didactics and digital history at the PH Zurich. She also develops digital learning opportunities for history lessons in collaboration with archives and extracurricular learning locations and conducts research into historical learning processes.
Find out more about Mileva Marić:
- In 2005, the Fraumünster Society at ETH honored Mileva Einstein-Marić as a co-developer of the theory of relativity. Documented on the memorial plaque on the residential building at Huttenstrasse 62 in Zurich.(Wikipedia entry for Mileva Marić)
- Jasmin Lörchner (2022, 3. Oktober). Episode 58: Mileva Maric: Das Genie neben Albert Einstein? Podcast HerStory, Geschichte(n) von Frauen und Queers.
- Till Hein: Die besser Hälfe, Einstein Foundation.de
- Mileva Marić: Die (fast) vergessene Einstein, Universität Heidelberg, Historische Portraits
Albert Einstein in Zürich
- Albert Einstein at UZH (Nobel Prize in Physics 1921)
- Einstein’s former study is now a meeting room at the DSI/DIZH.
- App Tour (ETH): Albert Einstein and the ETH . As part of the tour, you will also discover the locker once used by Albert Einstein, which is now a mini-museum.
Channels for history education on TikTok
- @heeyleonie (Leonie Schöler)
- @niklaskolorz (Niklas Kolorz)
- @keine.erinnerungskultur (Susanne Siegert)
Hosts: Frank Richter und Jessica Reust
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