Two stories of genocide, endurance and resistance. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the National Museum of the American Indian share a nearly parallel background. The portrayal of their stories varies between their architectures, their choice in disclosure, and their overall messages. Though they may have similar stories, the way they have been represented is what separates them miles apart. As soon as a visitor steps ground on the sidewalk leading to The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum they can see the building is designed to look bleak. You are viewing the building and a lump is already resting in your throat. You know what is coming. The connection our society makes to the Holocaust is not joyful or pleasant, nor
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The soldiers stand there looking down, completely expressionless. It’s horrific. Enough to make any visitor immediately nauseous. The unveiling of the brutality is not at all diminished here. It’s shared to the most honest level, with images to match. There are tattered uniforms to display, video footage, and even listening booths so visitors can hear survivors speak about the brutal life style. The museum has to be brutally honest, the point is to have people leave and reflect on what they just witnessed. Within the museum there is a glass hallway, all of the names of families and innocent people are listed here in the glass. It is almost translucent, but on the other side of the glass against a far wall there is a reading from the Bible, “You are my witnesses.” Isaiah 43:10 (The United States American Holocaust Memorial Museum). The placement of this engraving is so tasteful and subtle. We are their witnesses, we are acknowledging the names on those glass windows. We see them, along with all they suffered, and we listen closely to their silent cries. This museum sends a message to those who pass through of remembrance and honoring those who had their lives stolen from them. It’s a reminder to never sit back, to see …show more content…
Although they both share stories of genocide, they do not share their suffering in similar ways. The construction of each museum is made special to each historical background, yet left to each owns personal interpretation. Where one emphasizes on sharp corners, the other is made of all smooth edges. One similarity between architecture is the use of tight spaces. You could very well get lost throughout either, or even swallowed up by the readings on the walls and the exhibits. Which is a useful technique that both museums adopted. The main difference in these museums is the choice of how much they wanted to disclose. The Holocaust Museum was much more intense and ground breaking than the American Indian Museum. But all in all the decision making behind what get’s included is to help approach the message each is striving to get across. The Holocaust museum is looking to resonate with people and have them witness the hardship and pain that these people went through. Millions of lives were taken. Most of those in the Holocaust were erased. That is what makes the museum feel like a defeat. These people fought for their lives endlessly and for some they luckily made it out, for others it just was too late. But that is not an acceptable reason. It shouldn’t ever be too late and that is the idea that is stressed through the museum. As for the American Indian, the focus here is the
The soldiers stand there looking down, completely expressionless. It’s horrific. Enough to make any visitor immediately nauseous. The unveiling of the brutality is not at all diminished here. It’s shared to the most honest level, with images to match. There are tattered uniforms to display, video footage, and even listening booths so visitors can hear survivors speak about the brutal life style. The museum has to be brutally honest, the point is to have people leave and reflect on what they just witnessed. Within the museum there is a glass hallway, all of the names of families and innocent people are listed here in the glass. It is almost translucent, but on the other side of the glass against a far wall there is a reading from the Bible, “You are my witnesses.” Isaiah 43:10 (The United States American Holocaust Memorial Museum). The placement of this engraving is so tasteful and subtle. We are their witnesses, we are acknowledging the names on those glass windows. We see them, along with all they suffered, and we listen closely to their silent cries. This museum sends a message to those who pass through of remembrance and honoring those who had their lives stolen from them. It’s a reminder to never sit back, to see …show more content…
Although they both share stories of genocide, they do not share their suffering in similar ways. The construction of each museum is made special to each historical background, yet left to each owns personal interpretation. Where one emphasizes on sharp corners, the other is made of all smooth edges. One similarity between architecture is the use of tight spaces. You could very well get lost throughout either, or even swallowed up by the readings on the walls and the exhibits. Which is a useful technique that both museums adopted. The main difference in these museums is the choice of how much they wanted to disclose. The Holocaust Museum was much more intense and ground breaking than the American Indian Museum. But all in all the decision making behind what get’s included is to help approach the message each is striving to get across. The Holocaust museum is looking to resonate with people and have them witness the hardship and pain that these people went through. Millions of lives were taken. Most of those in the Holocaust were erased. That is what makes the museum feel like a defeat. These people fought for their lives endlessly and for some they luckily made it out, for others it just was too late. But that is not an acceptable reason. It shouldn’t ever be too late and that is the idea that is stressed through the museum. As for the American Indian, the focus here is the