By: Charlie Buckreis
When I was young, like early elementary school, I was really big into the American Revolutionary War. I read about all the battles and the important figures, I watched TV shows about it, I even got a bunch of army men and acted out some of the battles. As I got older, I had phases where I was interested in the American Civil War, WWI, and WWII. I was usually most interested in the battles and important figures, but for WWII, I was also quite interested in the Holocaust. The single largest genocide in human history, it both fascinated and horrified me.
I think I went to the Holocaust museum about six years ago. My mom and I took a trip down to see it. My memories of the experience are a bit hazy. I remember the building being very plain on the outside and somewhat dimly lit on the inside. I remember the dim lighting adding to the feeling of the place, adding to the atmosphere of ‘memory’ and ‘reflection’ that the museum tries to cultivate. I remember the walls of the rooms inside were fairly plain, which helped to keep the focus on the exhibit.
There are two specific things that I remember from the museum. The first thing is the big display of all of the shoes from the concentration camps. I remember seeing that exhibit and it helping me to realize the sheer scope of the Holocaust. The other thing that I remember is the quote on the wall. It really made me think about how divided we are today and how relevant this tragedy is to our lives today.