1. How does the Museum memorialize victims of the Holocaust in this space?
ANSWER:
The Museum uses triangles and hexagons, which are symbolic shapes connected to the history; biblical
quotes related to remembrance, witnessing, testifying, and mutual responsibility; and the pan-cultural
tradition of candle lighting.
2. Holocaust Survivor, Elie Wiesel, called the Museum a “living memorial,” warning, “a memorial
unresponsive to the future would violate the memory of the past.” What does that mean to you?
ANSWER:
Wiesel believed the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum should honor victims of the Holocaust by
serving as a warning about the fragility of democracy and dangers of unchecked hatred.
3. Why is it important for visitors to glimpse monuments to American democracy from the Hall of
Remembrance?
ANSWER:
The Museum “speaks” to America’s national monuments with a powerful warning about the fragility of
freedom, the myth of progress, and the need to preserve democratic values.
1. Why is it important to preserve collections related to the Holocaust? Why is it important to preserve the
stories that go with the artifacts as well as the artifacts themselves?
ANSWER:
Collections provide information about individual experiences during the Holocaust. They help us to see
the people behind statistics.
History is a continuous process. Each collection tells a different story about individuals and their
experiences. Together, the collections allow us to know what happened during the Holocaust.
2. Many documents, photographs, and artifacts are of significance to individuals and their families. Why
would it be important for the Museum to house them instead of remaining in people’s homes?
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