The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM)

The USHMM is an insitutional American museum which opened in 1993. It takes place in Whashington D.C. 22 other museums about Holocaust exist around the United States. USHMM is based on a Commission of President Jimmy Carter about Holocaust in 1979. The Congres authorized creation of museum in 1980. This museum welcome 30 million visitors  including 9 million children since opening of the museum. Permanent and temporary exhibitions are proposed to visitors.

Permanent exhibition is based on objects, videos, photos. This exhibition draws chronologically history of Holocaust since its origins. More 900 objects, 70 video monitors and 4 cinema rooms narrate this story. Interviews bring additional information about Holocaust and the Final Solution. This exhibition interest not only persecution by the Nazi system but also persecution of the Jews in other countries throughout the ages. In example, USHMM interests on pogroms in the East of Europe, or Dreyfus affair in France. The fourth floor focuses on period before the Second World War between 1933 and 1940. The thirst floor interests on the Second World War giving rise to the Final Solution, concentration and extermination camps. The second floor valorises Jewish resistance against Nazi system, liberation of extermination and concentration camp, and period after the War.

The tower of faces is a part of museum composed of three floors. On this tower, 1300 photos of Jewish families are put up. These photos evocate everyday life of a Lithuanian village. Population of this village was Jewish in a very great majority before the War. All of inhabitants were killed by the Nazis during the War in 1941.

Tower of faces

When visitor enter in room of permanent exhibition, he receive an identification card which explains the story of a victim of Holocaust or a surviving of concentration and extermination camp.

A specific room for children has created to explain Holocaust with simple words and shocking images for children. A specific exhibition has designed for children, and is centred of a romance of a Jewish children, Daniel. This exhibition is untitled “ Remember the children: Daniel’s story”. The story is based on collection of true stories of children who lived Holocaust.

Hall of remembrance is a room in memory of victims and surviving people of Holocaust. It is a place for public celebrations. You can find eternal flame which symbolizes eternity of memory, we mustn’t forget Holocaust.

                                                                Hall of remembrance

Temporary exhibitions enable to study a specific thematic as anti-Semitism, Nazi propaganda. USHMM propose touring exhibitions as the Olympic Games of Berlin in 1936, the persecution of Gays.

Museum works with different centres of Search and international cooperation.  The Center for Advanced Holocaust studies was created in 1998 and published a revue untitled Holocaust and Genocide Studies edited by Oxford University Press.  A groop of international cooperation enable to share experiences, archives about Holocaust around the world. This groop is formed by government and nongovernmental associations. This group comprises 26 member countries as the USA, France, United Kingdom, Germany and Austria.

If you want to have more information about this museum, you can visit official website of USHMM:

www.ushmm.org

Gwendoline CLAY.