Holocaust Memorial History

Memorials are a structured way for societies to externalize the internal affect an event has on the society and the individual. Memorials are a physical representation of a memory, which can be interpreted a number of different ways. We read these memorials in a similar way that we read people’s lives and bodies. These memorials take an event or person and display them symbolically on a global scale. This symbolic representation allows for each individual to decide how they will interpret it creatively and independently. They expose the truth about the creator and the era, and location in which they were erected. Memorials allow us to construct the memories we have, surrounding the events and people they represent. The place a monument resides …show more content…
It serves as, “A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum inspires citizens and leaders worldwide to confront hatred, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity,” (“About the Museum”). The museum strives to inform and educate the world about the fragility of freedom and the dangers of hatred. Much of their focus is on preventing future genocides and examining how and why the Holocaust happened. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has a more holistic approach to the matter than Yad Vashem. In the ideas of history and facts this is beneficial in forming a global memory, a way for us to define this event for the whole world. It incorporates how all parts of the world were affected and tried to intervene. It also focuses on our current duty to avoid any similar situations. The museum sits in our country’s capitol among many of our most important memorials. While the ideas presented here are important, what is lost is the personal touch found at Yad …show more content…
This may come from the idea that Israel has more ownership of mourning and memorialization of the Jewish deaths that took place during the Holocaust. There is an “assumption that Israel is the sole political entity able to appropriate the memory of the Holocaust as ‘part of its own self-definition and legitimation,’” (Hansen-Glucklich 64). While it was a worldwide tragedy it was also a very personal loss for the Jewish Nation. The Jewish Nation identifies with this event on a much more personal level than any other outside nations can. This is similar to how the United States might assume “ownership” of the mourning and memorialization of 9/11. Though we allow other nations and people to memorialize the fallen twin towers we may believe that our final memorial will hold the most significance because it is part of our national identity and