United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is the official memorial in the United States for the Holocaust. It was opened in 1993 to help people learn about this terrible event. The museum uses special displays, educational programs, stories from people who lived through it, and many archives to teach others about what happened.

The museum was created to help leaders and citizens around the world face hatred, prevent genocide, support human dignity, and make democracies stronger. It shows how important it is to stand up against unfair treatment and to remember the lessons from history so such terrible things never happen again.

Overview

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum helps people learn about a very sad time in history called the Holocaust. Since it opened in 1993, almost 50 million people have visited, including students, leaders from many countries, and people from all around the world. The museum has many things to help people understand, like objects, documents, photos, and stories from people who lived through that time.

The museum works with teachers and students to teach important lessons. It also studies places where people were kept during that difficult time. The museum is near other famous museums in its area.

History

On November 1, 1978, President Jimmy Carter created a special group to plan a memorial for people hurt during a very sad time called the Holocaust. A man named Elie Wiesel, who lived through this time, helped lead this group. They decided to build a big museum in Washington, D.C., to help people learn about what happened.

Many people worked hard to raise money and build the museum. In 1993, the museum opened its doors to share important stories and help teach others about kindness and respect. Sadly, there have been some difficult moments, like when people with hurtful ideas tried to cause harm to the museum. The museum works to keep everyone safe and continue teaching valuable lessons.

Exhibitions

The USHMM has exhibitions that have been open since 1993, along with rotating shows about the Holocaust and human rights.

Hall of Remembrance

The Hall of Remembrance is the museum’s official memorial for the victims and survivors of the Holocaust. Visitors can light candles and see an eternal flame in a special hexagonal hall.

Permanent Exhibition

The Permanent Exhibition uses over 900 objects, 70 video screens, and four theaters with historic films and stories from survivors. Visitors receive cards telling the stories of real people affected by the Holocaust. They then walk through a history of the Holocaust, starting with the rise of the Nazis led by Adolf Hitler from 1933 to 1939. The exhibition covers topics like Aryan ideas, Kristallnacht, antisemitism, and how America responded to Nazi Germany. It also talks about ghettos and the Nazis’ plan to harm the Jews of Europe, known as the Final Solution, during which six million Jews were killed. The exhibition ends with the freeing of Nazi concentration camps by Allied forces, and includes films of Holocaust survivor stories. First-time visitors usually spend two to three hours here. It is suggested for visitors aged 11 and older because of some images and topics.

Remember the Children: Daniel's Story

Remember the Children: Daniel's Story is an exhibition made to help younger students learn about the Holocaust. It opened in 1993 and shares true stories of children during that time. It is still open to families today.

A Dangerous Lie (2006)

A Dangerous Lie: The Protocols of the Elders of Zion was a special exhibition about an old false story from Russia called The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. The exhibition showed how this story was believed to be true during the early 1900s and when Hitler came to power. It also talked about how Henry Ford helped spread this false story in his newspaper, The Dearborn Independent.

Permanent collection

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has a big collection of items that help us learn about history. You can find art, books, old films, music, photographs, and many other things. These items help people understand what happened during a very sad time called the Holocaust. You can see some of these items online or by visiting the museum.

The museum also has a special place for people who survived the Holocaust and want to share their stories. In 2024, the museum added more stories from people who lived in countries ruled by strict leaders after World War II.

Museum gallery

"State of Deception" [Nazi propaganda](/wiki/Nazi_propaganda) exhibition at the museum in 2011

(Interior) An [A2 railcar](/wiki/Covered_goods_wagon), one of several types used as [Holocaust trains](/wiki/Holocaust_trains) by Nazi Germany to transport [victims](/wiki/Holocaust_victims)

Tower of Faces

This uniform on display was worn by prisoners in Nazi concentration camps.

(Exterior) A2 railcar owned by [Deutsche Reichsbahn](/wiki/Deutsche_Reichsbahn) and donated by the [Chief Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation](/wiki/Chief_Commission_for_the_Prosecution_of_Crimes_against_the_Polish_Nation) in 1991

Photo Wall at the Holocaust Memorial Museum

Architecture

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum was designed by architect James Ingo Freed of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, working with Finegold Alexander & Associates. Freed was born into a Jewish family in Germany and moved to the United States in 1939 with his parents, who were escaping the Nazis. The building's outside blends into the neoclassical, Georgian, and modern style of Washington, D.C. But inside, every part of the design reminds visitors of the serious and sad history of the Holocaust. Freed studied architecture from after World War II in Germany and visited many Holocaust sites across Europe to help shape the museum.

Other important groups helped build the museum, including Weiskopf & Pickworth, Cosentini Associates LLP, Jules Fisher, and Paul Marantz, all from New York City. The severe engineering firm was Severud Associates. The museum’s Meyerhoff Theatre and Rubenstein Auditorium were built by Jules Fisher Associates of New York City. The Permanent Exhibition was designed by Ralph Appelbaum Associates.

Financial administration

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum gets most of its money from donations and government support. In the 2021–2022 year, the museum earned about $184.7 million and spent $143.1 million. As of September 30, 2022, the museum's total resources were worth $696.9 million.

Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies

In 1998, the museum started the Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies (CAHS). This center works with experts to help study and learn more about the Holocaust. It supports important research, helps share historical documents, and offers special chances for students and teachers to learn. The CAHS also holds meetings, workshops, and talks to help people understand the Holocaust better. Thanks to these efforts, the museum has become a key place for learning about this important history.

Committee on Conscience

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has a special group called the Committee on Conscience. This group works with both the United States government and private money to study human rights around the world. They look at places where people are being treated very badly, like in Darfur genocide and Chechnya in Russia. They use rules made by the United Nations to help guide their work. The Committee on Conscience cannot make laws, but they give advice to leaders to help stop bad things from happening.

National Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust

Main article: Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum helps plan special events each year during a week called the Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust. These events focus on a different important idea each year, encouraging people to remember those who suffered and to think about how to make the world a better place.

National Institute for Holocaust Education

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum ran many programs to help people learn about the Holocaust. They held a special conference for teachers in Washington, D.C., where about 200 teachers from all over the United States came each year. The museum also offered workshops for teachers to learn more about the Holocaust and join a group of leaders in teaching others about it.

Since 1999, the museum has also helped people who work in important jobs, like police officers and judges, learn lessons about doing their jobs fairly and with respect. With help from the Anti-Defamation League, over 21,000 law enforcement officers from around the world have taken part in these training programs.

Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos

The Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos, 1933–1945 is a seven-part series that looks at the history of camps and areas where people were kept during a difficult time in Europe. It is made by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and published by the Indiana University Press. Work on this series started in 2000.

So far, two parts have been published. The first part talks about early camps set up by groups during that time, with details about where they were, how long they operated, and who was involved. The second part focuses on areas in Eastern Europe, sharing stories and artwork that might have been lost without this work.

Outreach

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum offers online exhibitions, including the Holocaust Encyclopedia. This online encyclopedia is available in many languages, such as Arabic, Mandarin, English, French, Russian, Spanish, Greek, Portuguese, Persian, Turkish, and Urdu. It has many entries and includes copies of the identification cards visitors receive at the museum.

The museum also works with Google Earth on the Genocide Prevention Mapping Initiative. This project aims to gather and share important information about situations that could lead to serious human rights violations.

Elie Wiesel Award

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum gives out an award called the Elie Wiesel Award. It started in 2011 and honors people who help make the world a better place by standing up against hate and working to protect human rights. The award was named after its first winner, Elie Wiesel.

Some of the people who have received this award include leaders, heroes, and groups that have done important work around the world. In 2018, the award was given to all Holocaust survivors to honor their courage and survival.

Governance

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is overseen by the United States Holocaust Memorial Council. This group has 68 members, including 55 citizens chosen by the President of the United States. The council also includes members from the United States Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as some government officials.

The council has had many leaders over the years. Some past chairs include Elie Wiesel, Harvey M. Meyerhoff, Miles Lerman, Irving Greenberg, Fred S. Zeidman, Tom A. Bernstein, Howard M. Lorber, and Stuart Eizenstat. The museum’s directors have included Jeshajahu Weinberg, Walter Reich, and Sara J. Bloomfield.

Main article: Quran oath controversy of the 110th United States Congress

Controversy

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has faced some disagreements over what it chooses to show and discuss. Some groups have asked why certain events, like the suffering of people during times of war, are not included in its displays.

Leaders of the museum have also been asked why they speak out about some events but not others. These discussions show how hard it is to remember history in a way that respects everyone affected.