It’s one of the most unspeakable events in human history. Nazi Germany murdered six million Eastern European Jews.
But, we have to speak about it, and remember, so something like this can never be allow to happen again.
A major new museum exhibition brings the reality of what happened to the Tri-Counties. "It focuses on the rise of the Nazi party, all of the victims of the Nazi regime, and especially Auschwitz," said Melissa Giller, who's the Chief Marketing Officer for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation.
The library is hosting Auschwitz. Not Long Ago. Not Far Away' , a 12,000 square foot exhibition featuring hundreds of artifacts from Auschwitz, as well as other items related to the infamous death camp.
"We have part of an actual barracks, where the prisoners stayed. We have bunk beds. We have the yellow stars they had to wear on their clothing to show they were Jews," said Giller.
And, there are some very difficult to see artifacts. There's a replica of the device used to drop the poison gas into the chambers used to kill people. And, there are pieces of the actual ovens used to incinerate hundreds of thousands of bodies at the camp.
Luis Ferreiro is the Director of Musealia, which put together the exhibition.
He said it’s more than the story of the camp. It tries to tell the story of the antisemitism which created the atmosphere leading up to the genocide.
Many younger generations know little, or nothing about the Holocaust. Those who are older know that millions died. The exhibition tries to get away from numbers, and tell some of the stories behind the genocide.
Ferreiro said it’s especially important because old age is taking many of the few surviving Holocaust survivors, who help to bear witness to the horrors which occurred.
The exhibition features a number of videos from survivors.
Ferreiro says he hopes the exhibition helps serves as a testament to what happened, so history can’t be allowed to repeat itself.
Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not Far Away. runs March 24 through August 13 at the Reagan Library. Even though it hasn’t opened yet, more than 40,000 advance tickets have already been sold.
The exhibit tour uses portable audio devices, and takes about two hours. Library officials say because of the unprecedented demand, they are doing timed tickets, and advance purchase is a must.
