The main power behind the Holocaust Memorial Museum was its ability to present tangible artifacts from the early 20th century to attest to the validity and truth behind the attempted genocide of the European Jews. Some of the most impactful items I saw were a striped concentration camp uniform, pieces of railroad that had led to a concentration camp, and cobblestones that had been traveled by concentration camp prisoners. But perhaps the most impactful scene was the piles of shoes left from those who entered the camps. While the exhibit was in the process of being renovated, and thus had only about half of the exhibit displayed, what remained was an incredibly powerful testament to the many individuals who suffered under the “Final Solution”. Most of the shoes were grey or brown in color, but one in particular stood out to me. It still retained some of its reddish color, and appeared to be a woman’s dress shoe. It reminded me that it once belonged to an everyday individual, who just happened to be targeted because of ancestry and religion.
I enjoyed getting to hear from individuals who graduated from UMW and are now embarking on great careers. I loved their enthusiasm for their work, and their emphasis on how working with history often involves “detective work”. Getting to see simply a peek of the huge collection of volumes available to the public at the museum was also a great treat. It definitely emphasized that the museum is a wonderful resource for research.
Finally, I felt incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to hear from a survivor, especially considering that they will most likely be gone in another 10-20 years. I was struck by the fact that he alternated humor with dark truths, most especially the fact that it was not a pleasure for him to be up on stage reliving some of the most horrific moments of his life. He also seemed to try to steer the conversation away from himself, emphasizing that his story is just one of many thousands which have already been recorded in books and interviews. As such, it was incredibly intriguing to hear more about his opinions and what happened to him following the war. The Holocaust, while an event limited in duration, clearly continues to have impacts to the present day in the lives of the individuals who survived it.