Cincinnati Remembers the Holocaust: CMC’s Auschwitz Exhibit
Those are the words titling the Cincinnati Museum Center’s international exhibit on Auschwitz, and they are full of truth. For many, family members who witnessed the 1940s are still alive today to testify to that fact, and the current world makes remembering the Holocaust even more important. Here in Cincinnati, the exhibit is in its final few weeks and features over 500 artifacts, the largest collection from Auschwitz outside Europe.
“This exhibition shares the real artifacts and evidence of what happened in Auschwitz, connecting guests with objects, photos and stories that reveal the lives of those who lived, and died, in Auschwitz,” said Elizabeth Pierce, president & CEO of Cincinnati Museum Center. “Understanding these moments in history helps us understand how to make our world better now and in the future. It renews our commitment to our shared humanity.”
Among the poignant items you’d expect to be at such a heart-rending exhibit, like the blue striped uniforms and Star of David badges, are others that continue to close the distance and make the history feel even more personal. Included in the showcase are intimate items like shoes, eyeglasses, children’s dolls, and confiscated clothing and suitcases.
Pieces and elements of the original prisoners’ barracks also have a place, as well as gas masks and even concrete posts used to fence the camp in. These artifacts display the sheer darkness of the times, and the website shares their hopes that it will strike a chord within visitors.
“When guests enter the exhibition, they will confront one of history’s darkest periods… but they will also be part of an ongoing remembrance and will leave bearing the weight of society’s responsibility to combat hate and evil everywhere.”
Historians, curators, and all sorts of scholars came together to participate in such an emotionally moving, large-scale exhibit. According to their website, the international panel of experts featured names such as Dr. Robert Jan van Pelt, Dr. Michael Berenbaum and Paul Salmons, in an unprecedented collaboration with historians and curators at the Research Center at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, led by Dr. Piotr Setkiewicz, and facilitated by the touring exhibition company Musealia.
Among international artifacts and experts, Auschwitz. Not Long Ago. Not Far Away. also features the help and support of local organizations, helmed by Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center. Founded by survivors and moved to Union Terminal in 2019, the Center’s CEO, Jackie Congedo says, “We are honored to partner with Cincinnati Museum Center to bring this landmark exhibition to Union Terminal. This exhibition builds on the powerful legacy of our local Holocaust survivors, whose courage and stories continue to shape our community and guide our mission.”
Local Holocaust stories have always had a powerful place in our city. A professor at the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music and Emmy Award-winning journalist, Hagit Limor, used her position as an opportunity to shed more light on the dark past, and her own survivor father’s journey, in a documentary called Hope After Hate. She traveled with students to visit the sites along her father’s journey in Germany and Poland, through homes, cities and concentration camps alike. Limor worked with local organizations to adapt Hope After Hate into an immersive play experience.
Pierce echoes the importance of Holocaust remembrance in Cincinnati and encourages you to visit the Auschwitz exhibit before it comes to a close on April 12th.
“In Cincinnati, we have an important and specific opportunity to share the history of Auschwitz and its survivors. Union Terminal is part of that history, both for survivors and liberators. With our partners at the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center, Union Terminal is part of the healing and resilience that continues today.”
You can find more information on Auschwitz. Not Long Ago. Not Far Away. and buy tickets on the Cincinnati Museum Center’s website.
