The Holocaust in Polish and American culture. Deliberations, politics and watershed moments.

Abstract

This article addresses issues related to Holocaust education in two emblematic sites: the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum (A-BSM) and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) in Washington, DC. Every year, these institutions are visited by millions of people, which contributes to their enormous impact on the memories of future generations. Their method of education, however, cannot be understood outside its historical, cultural and political context. Auschwitz contains the history of a former concentration and extermination camp, and the institution itself is also linked to the history of another totalitarian regime. In the United States, the National Holocaust Museum underwent years of deliberation over why the country should nationally commemorate Jewish victims, and why a memorial should stand on the National Mall in Washington, a place associated with American democracy. A broad view of the subject, as outlined in the article, not only allows for an awareness of what these centres are and how they educate, but it allows for an understanding of their perspective, excluding numerous criticisms that would seek to invalidate their discourse, while favouring criticism based on historical facts.