Can learning about historical violence inspire change today? Research on this question is often fragmented, with a narrow focus on isolated emotions such as concern, guilt or inspiration. We propose a broader framework that considers how learning about one's own group's involvement in historical violence evokes emotions directed at different actor groups simultaneously: empathy for victims, positive moral emotions toward upstanders, and negative group-based emotions toward perpetrators. We examine how these emotions relate to pro-social motivation.

We tested this in a field study among Dutch youths visiting a Holocaust museum, using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to compare groups giving pre- or post-visit survey responses. Results show that the visit increased empathy for the victims, increased upstanding motivation in a bullying vignette scenario, as well as positive moral emotions towards upstanders, and negative moral emotions towards perpetrators. Importantly, only empathic concern mediated the link between the museum experience and motivation to stand up against anti-Semitic bullying.

These findings underscore the central role of victim narratives in promoting upstanding behavior in youth. Emotions such as pride, guilt, or inspiration may not be sufficient on their own. By capturing the complexity of emotional responses in a real-world setting, this study offers practical insights for educational interventions aimed at fostering moral engagement in youth.