Book contents
- The Cambridge History of the Holocaust
- The Cambridge History Of The Holocaust
- The Cambridge History of the Holocaust
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Maps
- Contributors to Volume IV
- Abbreviations
- Additional material
- General Editor’s Introduction
- Introduction to Volume IV
- Part I History
- Part II Geography
- Part III Culture and Ideas
- Part IV Culture and Fields
- 18 Holocaust Commemoration and Memorials
- 19 Holocaust Museums
- 20 The Holocaust and the Medical Professions
- 21 Holocaust Literature
- 22 The Holocaust and the Visual Arts: Perplexity, Meanings
- 23 The Holocaust and Film
- 24 The Future of the Holocaust – Timely Reflections
- Index
- References
19 - Holocaust Museums
from Part IV - Culture and Fields
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 16 May 2025
Book contents
- The Cambridge History of the Holocaust
- The Cambridge History Of The Holocaust
- The Cambridge History of the Holocaust
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Maps
- Contributors to Volume IV
- Abbreviations
- Additional material
- General Editor’s Introduction
- Introduction to Volume IV
- Part I History
- Part II Geography
- Part III Culture and Ideas
- Part IV Culture and Fields
- 18 Holocaust Commemoration and Memorials
- 19 Holocaust Museums
- 20 The Holocaust and the Medical Professions
- 21 Holocaust Literature
- 22 The Holocaust and the Visual Arts: Perplexity, Meanings
- 23 The Holocaust and Film
- 24 The Future of the Holocaust – Timely Reflections
- Index
- References
Summary
Museums, including Holocaust museums, display artifacts and other aspects of material culture in order to convey historical events in a manner that allows the visitor to experience them at various levels. The combination of didactic and narrative exhibits generates a sense of identification and empathy with the victims and offers visitors an emotional and even spiritual experience. Thus, Holocaust museums are located in an intermediate zone between the academic establishment and the popular media. Holocaust museums form an integral institution for forming and conveying Holocaust memory. Unavoidably, they are also shaped by the political cultures of their home countries. This chapter examines how different Holocaust museums have been constructed in different times and places to serve both a didactic function for Holocaust education and a political function in shaping contemporary culture.
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- The Cambridge History of the Holocaust , pp. 446 - 466Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2025
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