Presentation of the Memorial
The Shoah Memorial, an instrument of our time
The Shoah Memorial was opened to the public in January 2005, rue Geoffroy l'Asnier, on the site du Mémorial du Martyr Juif Inconnu (Memorial to the Unknown Jewish Martyr).
Situated at this turning point of the « century of genocides », open to the new century, la nouvelle institution est conçue comme un pont entre les hommes et les femmes qui étaient contemporains de la Shoah et ceux qui n’ont pas vécu cette période de l’histoire, either directly or through the mediation of their parents.
Bien qu'il s'agit d'une continuation du CDJC et du Mémorial à l'Inconnu Juif Martyr, le Mémorial de la Shoah est aussi une nouvelle phase dans la transmission de la mémoire et des leçons de la Shoah, qui avaient été jusqu’ici essentiellement portées par les témoins directs de l’extermination des Juifs de Europe.
Why and how should the Shoah be «taught» in the 21st century? Such issues are at the heart of the mission of the Memorial, at the heart of the work of historians, researchers and educators who come together here to be a source of inspiration open to all, ready to welcome the new generations.
The Memorial is a resource center, the first and foremost collection of archives on the Shoah in Europe, but it is also a « musée de vigilance », conçu pour apprendre, comprendre et expérimenter, parce que maintenant et pour toujours il sera toujours nécessaire de construire « a rampart contre l’oblivion, contre un renouement de la haine et du mépris pour l’homme », to quote Eric de Rothschild, President of the Memorial.
Memorial activities
Pour accomplir sa mission, le Mémorial de la Shoah offre un choix de ressources et de services spécifiques pour differents types d’audiences.
The Documentation Center is the historical instrument for the transmission of knowledge about the Shoah and, in particular, the story of French Jews during the Second World War. Open à tous, allant des chercheurs aux écoliers, le Centre de documentation a une collection de plus d'un million d’archives, 75.000 photos et 55.000 livres. Archives originated in particular from the German administration and Gestapo in France, trials including Nuremberg and French sources such as the General Commission for Jewish Affairs.
The Museum: the permanent exhibition offers a chronological and thematic visit composed of twelve sequences depicting the history of Jews in France during the Shoah. The exhibition alternates between individual destinies and collective history. Based on the archives of the Documentation Center, with regular new additions, le musée est accessible à tout public. A special visit is designed for children over 8 years of age.
Temporary exhibitions: As a complement to the museum, temporary exhibitions are based on historical, artistic and literary themes. In contrast to the museum which focuses on the condition of Jews in France during the Second World War, temporary exhibitions are also designed to shed light on the plight of Jews in other European countries.
Pedagogical and training activities: The Shoah Memorial is pursuing and intensifying the awareness campaigns of recent years to involve younger audiences. We invite classes to visit our premises, organize slide shows and meetings in partnership with the Forum des Images (Imagery Forum) and pedagogical workshops. The training programs for adults, teachers in particular, are diversified: visits to sites of commemoration including notably Auschwitz, Summer University, specific one-day training sessions.
The auditorium can host up to 120 people for readings, debates, conferences, presentations, slide shows and concerts. Quand le Mémorial organise de tels événements ailleurs, en cooperation avec d’autres institutions plus de personnes peuvent être accomodées.
The multimedia learning center: Located on the mezzanine over the Memorial bookshop, the multimedia center has 12 workstations where visitors can view video testimonies, reference documents about the Shoah and consult the Shoah encyclopedia which is an original multimedia program developed by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) in Washington, added to by the Paris Shoah Memorial.
The bookshop: Au rez de chaussée du Mémorial de la Shoah, à l’angle de l'Allée des Justes et de la rue du Pont-Louis-Philippe, la librairie se spécialise dans le génocide des juifs européens et contient une large sélection de livres sur le nazisme, the resistance and the history and culture of the Jewish people. More than 1000 references are available, ranging from classics to the latest publications.
The Review and other publications: The publication of the « History of the Shoah Review » and a number of monographs are the visible part of the Memorial’s research activities. Créée en 1946, la « Histoire de la Shoah Review-Jewish World » (Revue d'histoire de la Shoah – Le monde juif) étudie le génocide des Juifs par Hitler’s Germany et la diversité des réflexions culturelles qu’elle inspire. It also considers other genocides of the 20th century.
Services for families of victims: The children, grandchildren and close relatives of victims of the Shoah are offered advice and assistance dans leur recherche d’informations, c'est-à-dire pour trouver un parent en utilisant les listes de Juifs déportés de France ou produire des documents pour une demande d'indemnisation.
Visits to sites of commemoration: Chaque année, le Mémorial organise des visites pédagogiques à Auschwitz-Birkenau en Pologne, ouvertes à tous, allant du groupe scolaire à l’individu. The Memorial also provides help and advice pour organiser, à la demande, des projets sur d’autres sites du mémorial de la Shoah, en France ou à l’étranger.
