At the Intersection of Science and History: The Science Behind “The Good Nazi”

Classrooms Without Borders is honored to bring this exceptional team of leading historians, archeologists and scientists to dive deep into the science behind the film the “Good Nazi”.
We will explore how the use of groundbreaking technology can uncover a more complete understanding of our shared history. Join us for an in depth presentation and Q & A with the team of scientists whose technology was utilized to discover places hidden to the eye that hold historical significance and document this amazing story.

Specifically, we will talk about the following locations and how science is used to write and rewrite the history of the Holocaust:

The Great Synagogue of Vilnius, Lithuania
The Jacob Gens burial site at the Rasu Street Prison in Vilnius
The Ponar Forest mass murder site near Vilnius,
The sunken Jewish town of Rumsiskes
The Trakas mass murder site, and the Matilda Olkin mass grave site, near Rokiskis, Lithuania.

Dr. Richard Freund
Dr. Richard Freund is a field archaeologist and Jewish historian and has directed over a dozen archaeological projects in Israel, including sites associated with the beginnings of Christianity and Judaism at Nazareth, Bethsaida, Yavne and Qumran, site of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. In addition, he has directed projects in Spain (2 sites), Poland (6 sites), Rhodes, Greece (4 sites) and Lithuania (18 sites). His work has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Time magazine, Reader’s Digest, Newsweek, Archaeology, and in three major articles in Smithsonian magazine. He has also been featured on BBC, MSNBC, CNN, NPR and Fox News, in hundreds of media outlets worldwide and in 20 television documentaries from National Geographic, CNN, Discovery Channel, History Channel and PBS. His 2016 work in Lithuania was chronicled one of the most viewed episodes of NOVA’s science series episode: “Holocaust Escape Tunnel” on the new discoveries made in the Ponar Burial Pits and the Great Synagogue of Vilna, Lithuania that has been seen around the world. Dr. Freund is the author of over 100 scholarly articles and 12 books (written or co-edited) including his newest book: Archaeology of the Holocaust: Vilna, Rhodes, and Escape Tunnels (Rowman &Littlefield, 2019).

Dr. Harry Jol
Dr. Harry Jol earned his B.Sc. and M.Sc. from Simon Fraser University (Canada) and Ph.D. from the University of Calgary (Canada, 1996). After 2 post-doctoral fellowships, he accepted a position at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where he is presently a Professor in the Department of Geography and Anthropology. Harry has a broad background in the earth sciences, particularly geomorphology, stratigraphy, and geoarchaeology. His collaborative research, which includes undergraduate students, has resulted in numerous publications, conference presentations, and three edited volumes.

Dr. Alastair McClymont
Dr. Alastair McClymont is a professional geophysicist with over 15 years of experience in the application of diverse near-surface geophysical techniques to geotechnical assessments, hydrogeological studies, contaminated site remediation and archaeological investigations. In his role as a Principal Geophysicist at Advisian, Alastair provides technical solutions to projects requiring non-invasive investigation of the subsurface, saving costs to clients while minimizing environmental impacts. He has extensive experience in western Canada and has worked on a number of international projects. In addition to television and radio interviews, Alastair’s work on archaeological investigations associated with the Holocaust has also been featured in television documentaries, including Holocaust Escape Tunnel (2017) and the Good Nazi (2018).

Dr. Philip Reeder
Dr. Philip Reeder is currently the Dean of the Bayer School of Natural and Environmental Sciences at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His current areas of research broadly focus on using science to write or rewrite history. He has been doing Holocaust-related research, as part of an international team of scientists, archaeologists, and historians, for the past ten years, mostly in Lithuania and Poland. As chief cartographer, he is responsible for all aspects of mapping and spatial analysis associated with these projects.