Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills, MI
The Holocaust was perhaps the most saddening and savage accomplishment of the human race. Derived from the Greek words holos and kaustos, meaning “whole burnt”, the Holocaust is more formally known as the systematic genocide of almost six million Jews and five million non-Jewish victims by German Nazis during the 1930s and 1940s. Auschwitz-Birkenau was the most prominent of the many concentration camps during the Nazi regime. The victims of the Holocaust endured extreme hunger and thirst, frigid temperatures, deplorable working conditions, and abuse from the Nazis. Many of those who were still living viewed death as a better alternative--either from gunfire or from the crematorium. Today many museums honor the Holocaust’s victims. …show more content…
I visited three exhibits: the External Flame and Memorial Wall, the Descent into Nazism, and the Camp System. The External Flame and Memorial Wall exhibit was extremely powerful. The wall listed all of those victims of the Holocaust who lost their lives. On the side of the wall lies a burning flame. It is Jewish custom to burn a 24-hour candle in honor of a lost friend or relative. The Holocaust Museum Center is trying to mimic this practice. The Descent into Nazism was equally as powerful as the previous exhibit. The exhibit centers around a large portrait of Adolf Hitler and tells of the darkness and horror surrounding the Holocaust. The exhibit also details the unspeakable atrocities and abuse by the Nazis. The last exhibit profiles the Nazi concentration camp system, specifically the following concentration camps: Auschwitz-Birkenau, Treblinka, Dachau, and many more. I thought that the Holocaust Museum Center was extremely interesting. If I were to travel to Michigan, I would hope to visit