Thursday, May 8, 2008

Holocaust

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum:
A living memorial to one of histories darkest periods


Located next to the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing is a museum whose mission is solemn and serious. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, located at 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW, is a living memorial to one of the most atrocious acts of genocide and ethnic cleansing in modern history. Part of the mission of the museum is to "stimulate leaders and citizens to confront hatred, prevent genocide, promote human dignity, and strengthen democracy." It is a somber and stark reminder that, although we are the most evolved creatures on the planet, we are also the most diabolical and destructive.

Unlike other museums on the National Mall that are educational in colorful, fun, exuberant ways, the Holocaust Memorial Museum is an experience that is dark, honest, and shocking. (And well it should be as the subject matter is anything but fun.) The displays and exhibits tell the story of Nazi Germany's systematic process of murdering more than six million Jews and an equal number of gypsies, political dissidents, prisoners of war, the disabled, and homosexuals, among others. Its displays include film footage from the era, rail cars, piles of shoes and eyeglasses and shorn hair, and stories-high walls of pictures of many of the victims of the concentration camps and pograms that swept Europe under the Germans in the 1930s and 1940s.

The U.S. Congress authorized creation of the museum in 1980 and in 1993 the museum was dedicated by President Bill Clinton. The museum has received more than 26 million visitors since it opened its doors. More than 90% of all visitors are non-Jews. The museum runs several education programs for law enforcement officers, and plebes from the U.S. Naval Academy and cadets from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point visit the museum every year as part of their education. The Holocaust Memorial Museum is not only a repository of artifacts and exhibitions, but is also a premier research institution on the Holocaust and includes oral, videotaped histories from more than 9,000 Holocaust survivors.

Today, the museum continues its mission of raising awareness about issues and current incidents of genocide in the world. The Holocaust Memorial Museum, in partnership with Google Earth, recently launched a geoblog called World is Witness that allows users to see
areas in the world and read firsthand accounts where genocide and ethnic cleansing are occurring. Places like Darfur, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda, to name just a few.

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is open to the public year-round and the permanent exhibit does not require tickets. If you wish to see the special exhibits, visitors must obtain timed tickets. The exhibits are free and you can either acquire tickets at the museum directly or through TicketMaster (which charges a handling fee.) It is recommended that children under 11 not visit the permanent exhibits.



Click on images to enlarge. Photo descriptions: (top) U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in the early morning light. (Right center): Courtyard of the USHMM on Raoul Wallenberg Place. The sculpture is titled "Loss and Regeneration," by artist Joel Shapiro, and is dedicated to the children killed in the Holocaust. (Left center): The front of the USHMM. (Lower left): Line of sight photo of an architectural feature on the side of the museum. (Lower right): Line of sight photo of the side of the museum. Note the lamps, which seem to mimic the light fixtures found in concentration camps.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 3/08

8 comments:

 gmirage said...

Hubby and I watched Band of Brothers...seeing it is like seeing a museum of war like this. =) I am not sure if the part where they featured Austria is authentic but its a good work too. I got some photos also of some stuff related to war, maybe I'd post that...hope you're doing great Janet, see you around.

Sarah G said...

I think that everyone should visit this museum once - it's easily one of the most moving and powerful museums I've ever seen. I will say that it's not a picker-up (in case that wasn't obvious!), so it's probably a good way to use a rainy day! I went for a class in college, on a warm, bright, sun shiney day...it was a little strange to walk out of the museum into the happy sunshine!

Maya said...

wow. I definitely want to visit this one when I come to D.C.! It scares me how easily people can band together and do atrocious things to one another.

Janet Kincaid said...

Mirage: Band of Brothers is an excellent mini-series! My understanding is Tom Hanks worked hard to ensure it was authentic, but who knows? When I lived in Linz, my roommate and I went out to Mauthausen one day. That was a pretty chilling experience. It's baffling that atrocities like the Holocaust and contemporary events like Darfur, etc. can and continue to happen despite our advances as civilizations. The evil that lives in the hearts of some humans is sickening.

Cowbark: I agree! I've been and, combined with visiting a concentration camp when I lived in Austria, it's an experience I'll never forget. It was so stirring, in fact, that a year later when my grandfather--who participated in the liberation of Dachau--asked to go, I couldn't do it. (I regret that now, because he died a couple of years ago and I think I missed out on an opportunity to talk with him about his experiences in the war.)

Maya: If you come to D.C., this museum should definitely be on your list of must-sees. Cowbark is right, though: it's not a happy experience. But necessary? Absolutely!

Lara said...

we should remember.

Janet Kincaid said...

Lara: Amen.

Lucky Dip Lisa said...

Nice little selection of lomo-ish photos. I love the peek ot the flag in the right hand photo..in flight, bright and the perfect draw for my eye to look into the photo.
Not enough to detract from the real seriousness here though and I hope we have learnt from the past.

Janet Kincaid said...

Lisa: I liked the composition on the photo with the flag, too. I found it both moving and ironic. Moving, because this flag has often stood for justice and peace and freedom. Ironic, because now it also seems to embody for many exactly some of the same policies and programs that resulted in the Holocaust...