--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Those who don't remember the past are…" description: "\"Those who don't remember the past are condemned to repeat the eleventh grade.\" — James W. Loewen" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/681/james-w-loewen-12569_auschwitz_those-who-don-t-remember-the-past-are-co_1941202.png" --- # Those who don't remember the past are condemned to repeat… ![“Those who don't remember the past are condemned to repeat the eleventh grade.” quote by James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/681/james-w-loewen-12569_auschwitz_those-who-don-t-remember-the-past-are-co_1941202.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/681/james-w-loewen-12569_auschwitz_those-who-don-t-remember-the-past-are-co_1941202.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/681/james-w-loewen-12569_auschwitz_those-who-don-t-remember-the-past-are-co_1941202.png) > “Those who don't remember the past are condemned to repeat the eleventh grade.” [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Forgetting history leads to repeating the same mistakes, even at a basic educational level. **In simple terms:** Ignoring history repeats mistakes. Key Takeaway Study history to avoid repeating errors. Themes education history learning Mood thoughtful motivational Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - school curricula - personal study - public policy Key Concepts memory critical thinking Questions to Reflect On - What historical lessons are most relevant today? - How can we improve historical education? A Different Perspective Complex issues may be oversimplified. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Auschwitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/auschwitz/) [Confederate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confederate/) [Forget the past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forget-the-past/) [Futility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/futility/) [Future and present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/future-and-present/) [Hiroshima](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hiroshima/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [History of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-of-life/) [History repeats itself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-repeats-itself/) [Homestead act](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/homestead-act/) [Infancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infancy/) [Knowledge of the past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge-of-the-past/) [Learn from the past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn-from-the-past/) [Lessons of the past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lessons-of-the-past/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Past and present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-and-present/) [Past mistakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-mistakes/) [Past present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-present/) [Past present and future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-present-and-future/) [Past present future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-present-future/) [Past present future love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-present-future-love/) [Perilous times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perilous-times/) [Progress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/progress/) [Remembering the past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remembering-the-past/) [Repeated failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repeated-failure/) [Repeating history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repeating-history/) [Stages of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stages-of-life/) [Studying history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/studying-history/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Times past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/times-past/) [Your past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/your-past/) ## Related quotes > [Had we taken ten sails, and let the eleventh to escape, being able to get at her, I could never have called it well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horatio-nelson/had-we-taken-ten-sails-and-let-the-eleventh-to-escape-being-able-to/) [Horatio Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horatio-nelson/) > [ All those \[events in history\] were such dramas as we see now, only with different actors. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/all-those-events-in-history-were-such-dramas-as-we-see-now-only-with/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Academically, I think things kicked off pretty late for me. I was kind of one of those kids who was in half honors, half…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-seibel/academically-i-think-things-kicked-off-pretty-late-for-me-i-was-kind/) [Michael Seibel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-seibel/) > [In a modern world, increasingly filled with pop culture fads and gimmicks, Lisa Morton reveals much of the underbelly history and unknown facts regarding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/del-howison/in-a-modern-world-increasingly-filled-with-pop-culture-fads-and/) Del Howison > [The doctrine of the absolute uniqueness of events in history seems nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/crane-brinton/the-doctrine-of-the-absolute-uniqueness-of-events-in-history-seems/) Crane Brinton > [There are four great events in history, the siege of Troy, the life and crucifixion of Christ, the exile of Krishna in Brindaban and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-aurobindo/there-are-four-great-events-in-history-the-siege-of-troy-the-life-and/) [Sri Aurobindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-aurobindo/) > [We used to go to Palm Springs, ditch school when I was in eleventh grade, and go hang out poolside with our ghetto blaster…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-trujillo/we-used-to-go-to-palm-springs-ditch-school-when-i-was-in-eleventh/) [Robert Trujillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-trujillo/) > [Gansey had no idea how old Blue was. He knew she'd just finished eleventh grade. Maybe she was sixteen. Maybe she was eighteen. Maybe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/gansey-had-no-idea-how-old-blue-was-he-knew-she-d-just-finished/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [I was eleventh-grade class president. That was the first elective office I held until I came into Congress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-edwards/i-was-eleventh-grade-class-president-that-was-the-first-elective/) [Donna Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-edwards/) > [Often when people first hear this part of the Secret they recall events in history where masses of lives were lost, and they find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/often-when-people-first-hear-this-part-of-the-secret-they-recall/) [Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/) > [“I flip ahead in the textbook. There's an interesting chapter about acid rain. Nothing about sex. We aren't scheduled to learn about that until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/i-flip-ahead-in-the-textbook-there-s-an-interesting-chapter-about/) [Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/) > [The cross is not a mere event in history; it's a way of life! Take up your cross DAILY, Jesus said!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/the-cross-is-not-a-mere-event-in-history-it-s-a-way-of-life-take-up/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Fate has to do with events in history that are the summary and unintended results of innumerable decisions of innumerable men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-wright-mills/fate-has-to-do-with-events-in-history-that-are-the-summary-and/) [C. Wright Mills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-wright-mills/) > [“Maya’s boyfriend, Ryan, happens to be the only other black kid in eleventh grade, and everybody expects us to be together. Because apparently when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-thomas/maya-s-boyfriend-ryan-happens-to-be-the-only-other-black-kid-in/) [Angie Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-thomas/) > [Eleventh grade is when I grew into my body. My athleticism and speed took off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zion-williamson/eleventh-grade-is-when-i-grew-into-my-body-my-athleticism-and-speed/) [Zion Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zion-williamson/) ## More by James W. Loewen > [Many Americans have never owned a book. And others have never owned a non-fiction book. Providing them with a 300-page paperback would get them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/many-americans-have-never-owned-a-book-and-others-have-never-owned-a/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [Textbooks pretty much have no real drama. They have no real storyline. To the extent they have a storyline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/textbooks-pretty-much-have-no-real-drama-they-have-no-real-storyline/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [Taking ideas seriously does not fit with the rhetorical style of textbooks, which presents events so as to make them seem foreordained along a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/taking-ideas-seriously-does-not-fit-with-the-rhetorical-style-of/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [Cherishing Columbus is a characteristic of white history, not American history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/cherishing-columbus-is-a-characteristic-of-white-history-not-american/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [I often suggest in workshops that if you have 30 students in your American History course in 11th grade, or whatever grade level, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/i-often-suggest-in-workshops-that-if-you-have-30-students-in-your/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [Unfortunately, marketing textbooks is like marketing fishing lures: the point is to catch fishermen, not fish. Thus many adopted textbooks are flashy to catch…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/unfortunately-marketing-textbooks-is-like-marketing-fishing-lures-the/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [As a result of the sufferings and hard labor they endured, the Indians choose and have chosen suicide. Occasionally a hundred have committed mass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/as-a-result-of-the-sufferings-and-hard-labor-they-endured-the-indians/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [I think the first important thing is that usually most textbooks are not written by their authors. And so by author I mean the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/i-think-the-first-important-thing-is-that-usually-most-textbooks-are/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [Teachers need to teach the subject rather than to teach the textbook.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/teachers-need-to-teach-the-subject-rather-than-to-teach-the-textbook/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [“No matter how thoroughly Native Americans acculturated, they could not succeed in white society. Whites would not let them. "Indians were always regarded as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/no-matter-how-thoroughly-native-americans-acculturated-they-could-not/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [“We seem to feel that a person like Helen Keller can be an inspiration only so long as she remains uncontroversial, one-dimensional. We don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/we-seem-to-feel-that-a-person-like-helen-keller-can-be-an-inspiration/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [Nobody would ever want to read a textbook about the Civil War and then interrupt that for two pages about water rights in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/nobody-would-ever-want-to-read-a-textbook-about-the-civil-war-and/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [Students will start finding history interesting when their teachers and textbooks stop lying to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/students-will-start-finding-history-interesting-when-their-teachers/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [“Students exit history textbooks without having developed the ability to think coherently about social life. Even”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/students-exit-history-textbooks-without-having-developed-the-ability/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) > [History can be a weapon, and it can be used against you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-w-loewen/history-can-be-a-weapon-and-it-can-be-used-against-you/) [James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) [Explore all 54 James W. Loewen quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-w-loewen/) ## More Auschwitz quotes > [I stated that Hiroshima and Nagasaki are 'among the most unspeakable crimes in history.' I took no position on just where they stand on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-stated-that-hiroshima-and-nagasaki-are-among-the-most-unspeakable/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [We need creativity. We need more poetry after Auschwitz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rithy-panh/we-need-creativity-we-need-more-poetry-after-auschwitz/) [Rithy Panh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rithy-panh/) > [“I remember that one Holy Week, the magazine I got every Thursday, Anteojito , came with a free poster depicting the Stations of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcelo-figueras/i-remember-that-one-holy-week-the-magazine-i-got-every-thursday/) [Marcelo Figueras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcelo-figueras/) > [No sane person wants hell to exist. No sane person wants evil to exist. But hell is just evil eternalized. If there is evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-kreeft/no-sane-person-wants-hell-to-exist-no-sane-person-wants-evil-to-exist/) [Peter Kreeft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-kreeft/) > [My own interest in Kafka's letter came about when I was writing an article on Peter Ginz, the boy novelist held in Terezin, not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-cartwright/my-own-interest-in-kafka-s-letter-came-about-when-i-was-writing-an/) [Justin Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-cartwright/) > [Eighteen months before I was born, my mother was in Auschwitz. She weighed 49 pounds. She always told me that God saved her so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-von-furstenberg/eighteen-months-before-i-was-born-my-mother-was-in-auschwitz-she/) [Diane von Furstenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-von-furstenberg/) > [“I am keenly aware that the security we enjoy is frail, and could easily be disrupted. Secretly, a nagging fear gnaws at me: what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-waterman/i-am-keenly-aware-that-the-security-we-enjoy-is-frail-and-could/) [Daniel Waterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-waterman/) > [There is more to Jewish history than Auschwitz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romain-gary/there-is-more-to-jewish-history-than-auschwitz/) [Romain Gary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romain-gary/) > [“I once conjured up this image of Hitler. I imagined that he didn’t kill himself and that he was kept in a kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-haybittle/i-once-conjured-up-this-image-of-hitler-i-imagined-that-he-didn-t/) [Glenn Haybittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-haybittle/) > [“In February, 1943, eight months before she was murdered in Auschwitz, the German painter Charlotte Salomon killed her grandfather. Salomon’s grandparents, like many Jews,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-bentley/in-february-1943-eight-months-before-she-was-murdered-in-auschwitz/) [Toni Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-bentley/) > [There is no question in my mind that we live in one of the truly bestial centuries in human history. There are plenty of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-chargaff/there-is-no-question-in-my-mind-that-we-live-in-one-of-the-truly/) [Erwin Chargaff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-chargaff/) > [I know that elections must be limited only to those who understand that the Arabs are the deadly enemy of the Jewish state, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meir-kahane/i-know-that-elections-must-be-limited-only-to-those-who-understand/) [Meir Kahane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meir-kahane/) > [“It was, unbelievably, not the most depressing thing we had ever seen: a bride, ripped from her own wedding, separated from her groom, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/it-was-unbelievably-not-the-most-depressing-thing-we-had-ever-seen-a/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [“He sounded chilly. “I’m sure she is.” Allegra was trying to back off, but she was annoyed that he had taken her father’s part,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-steel/he-sounded-chilly-i-m-sure-she-is-allegra-was-trying-to-back-off-but/) [Danielle Steel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-steel/) > [Auschwitz was one of the wealthiest places in the world. Everyone who was deported there had been in such a hurry that they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anita-lasker-wallfisch/auschwitz-was-one-of-the-wealthiest-places-in-the-world-everyone-who/) [Anita Lasker-Wallfisch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anita-lasker-wallfisch/) [Browse all 168 Auschwitz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/auschwitz/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Those who don't remember the past are condemned to repeat the eleventh grade.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James W. 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