All I could think of was that they were our fellow human beings, people who could fell the torment, pain, fear, and deepest heartbreak and stress in their lives. The Holocaust Memorial Museum visit was such an overwhelming, profound and sobering experience. And everyone should see it too.
“The term ‘Holocaust’ signifies a sacrifice consumed by fire. More specifically, the Holocaust refers to the systematic state-sponsored killing of six million Jewish men, women, and children, along with millions of others, by Nazi Germany and its collaborators during World War II. The Germans referred to this as ‘the final solution to the Jewish question.'”
Day 2 in Washington DC.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
We walked a few blocks from the White House Visitor Center to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on a cold and drizzly 2nd day in DC. Despite the weather, our experience remained undampened. Arriving on time with our 11:30 am tickets, we found a long line of students on a tour waiting to enter. Our group was directed to an entrance on the opposite side of the building, where there was no queue.
The first thing we saw was the stairs inviting us to go up. As we ascended the stairs, we entered an exhibition focusing on the recent situation in Myanmar with the Rohingya people. After some initial confusion, we descended via an elevator on the opposite side. I agree that the setup could be better organized to guide visitors to available exhibits beyond the permanent ticketed display.
Next, we located the elevator that would take us to the fourth floor, allowing us to work our way down. The elevator was small and eerily reminiscent of crematorium doors.
Passport to Elevator
The tour commenced by selecting a card from a stack, meant to mimic a deceased person’s passport, which recounted their tragic life story. An accompanying staff member explained the museum’s layout and the content on each floor during our elevator ride.
Each floor of the museum advances you thru time from 1933-1945. The pattern follows history starting with the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party after WWI, and gets deep into detail about how it all unfolded. It moves into the early persecution of Jews and other populations; followed by formation of concentration and death camps; and finally liberation by the Allied forces at the end of the war.
The millions of people killed in the Holocaust and the heroism of the Allied forces bring tears to my eyes. It was such a horrific crime against humanity that Russia joined in to end the madness, as liberators along with the USA and UK.
Most of the displays are text intensive. But it was crowded and we couldn’t get closer to some of the exhibits to read the information. But we still get to see most of the museum’s extensive exhibits. They range from photos, videos, including survivor accounts, large portrait gallery, more than 900 artifacts, and replica works.
The documented truth of what transpired during the Holocaust is chilling. It is hard to imagine the scale of the crimes that occurred and inflicted upon our fellow human beings. It is very hard to comprehend how some humans could treat another humans in this way?
Never Again.
The museum serves as a poignant reminder that these atrocities must never be forgotten and can not be allowed to ever happen again. We cannot allow history to repeat itself. Every generation should visit and learn from this dark chapter, ensuring that such horrors are never repeated.
What a great trip showing the city and the streets
Powerful message. The Holocaust museum sounds incredibly moving, even a bit haunting. So important to remember “Never Again.”