1 / 16

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Why?. “Bring to life the brutality of the Holocaust and movingly illustrate the terrible fate of Jews in World War II Nazi Germany.” . Goals. “Document, study, and interpret the history of the Holocaust” Memorial to millions of Jews killed in Holocaust

paul
Download Presentation

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

  2. Why? • “Bring to life the brutality of the Holocaust and movingly illustrate the terrible fate of Jews in World War II Nazi Germany.”

  3. Goals • “Document, study, and interpret the history of the Holocaust” • Memorial to millions of Jews killed in Holocaust • Committee on Conscience: genocide research

  4. The beginning… • October ’78 • President Carter – Holocaust miniseries • Consults advisors

  5. Result: • 60-member commission formed • Chairman: Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor

  6. Controversy No need for memorial: U.S. was not involved in the Holocaust vs. “There has to be a place that generates a pulse continuously about these kind of issues [oppression].” - Mark Talisman, founding vice-chairman of museum

  7. Plans made… • Congress approved project - 1981 • Architect chosen: James Ingo Freed • Freed witnessed Kristallnacht as young boy • Moved to United States - Studied architecture - Worked on many notable architectural projects

  8. Freed’s vision… “The intent of the building is to be a resonator of your own imagery, of your own memory.”

  9. Freed’s design • Visited Auschwitz and designed the museum with institutional concrete – glass, steel, stark, gray – like a concentration camp • Hexagon shape – like the Jewish star

  10. Outside vs. Inside • Exterior: clean lines, like nearby buildings • Interior: sometimes “claustrophobic,” sometimes “soaringly majestic” to elicit emotional response

  11. Upon entering… • Each visitor receives a different card – each card shows a different Jewish person involved in the Holocaust

  12. Four Floors Trace history of Holocaust 4th floor – beginning :1933-1940 Early years of Nazi rule Exclusion of Jews from society and buildup to World War II

  13. Third Floor • “Final Solution” • 1940 – 1945 • Concentration camps, killing centers, ghettos, transport boxcar

  14. Second Floor • Hall of Remembrance Post-war years: resistance, rescue, liberation

  15. First Floor • Hall of Witness: Testimony of Holocaust survivors

  16. A reminder of WHY “We must make sure that from now until the end of days all humankind stares this evil in the face…and only then can we be sure it will never arise again.” - President Ronald Reagan: Remarks at the site of the future United States Holocaust Museum, October 5, 1988

More Related