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A TALK FOR ELIZABE THTOWN HIGH SCHOOL NOVEMBER 2012 ELAINE HEUMANN GURIAN [email protected]

Elizabethtown high school talk on the Holocaust museum

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A TALK

FOR E

LIZABETH

TOW

N

HIGH S

CHOOL

NOVEMBER 2012

EL

AI N

E H

EU

MA

NN

GU

RI A

N

EG

UR

I AN

@E

GU

RI A

N. C

OM

BACKGROUND

I HAVE BEEN A DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR A NUMBER OF MUSEUMS. My job was to make them operate. I do not do the creative stuff like deciding what are in exhibitions though I have in the past.

I WAS DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR THE USHMM FROM 1991=1994 because I know to open museum that are undergoing change or construction.

I AM NOW A CONSULTANT TO MANY MUSEUMS AROUND THE WORLD that are undergoing change.

USHMM

The USHMM opened in 1993 after 10 years of planning and arguments

It opened with 10,000 people in attendance including 16 heads of state.

The opening was broadcast live on CNN and the speakers included the President of the United States Bill Clinton.

The first visitor was the Dalai Lama

Why did they come? why was it broadcast live? And why would every head of state thereafter come to visit when in DC?

GOVERNANCE

The USHMM is a government museum

It was built with private funds

It is free to the public

It has an annual Federal appropriation

It also fundraises separately

BACKGROUND

The Holocaust happened between 1933 and 1945 in Nazi Germany. It is not a synonym for the WW2.

It refers to persecution and genocide to all the victim groups. The largest group are Jews, the second largest are Poles. The victim groups include Roma, Homosexuals, political dissidents, handicapped individuals, people of color, communists, socialists and those who opposed the Nazi’s.

Genocide was the reason for rounding up 2 of the groups – Jews and Gypsies.

MUSEUMS

• Are public places

• Except for groups (schools) people came when they want and leave when they want

• The visitor is mostly standing and walking

• Comes alone or with a small social group that talk together

• Visitors are surrounded by strangers

• Have “stuff”, evidence, collections on display

• Have multi-sensory experiences available, not just reading or looking

• Are time limited experiences

EXHIBITION ISSUES

Forced march

Change of flooring

Use of Picture as evidence

Use of collections material as evidence

Privacy walls

Where to put the crematorium

Looking at you

Voice of the narrator

Heroes on the last floor

EXHIBITION CONTINUED

The shoes

What America knew and when did they know it?

How to end the story

Is a memorial proper in a Federal building?

Separation of church and state

Separation of Federal and Private museums