Rio's Museum of Tomorrow unveils exhibit on Holocaust

The Museum of Tomorrow—a space dedicated to science, the environment, and the debate on the future of humankind—now throws a spotlight on a dark period of world history with the exhibit Holocaust – Light and Darkness. The exhibit, inaugurated Wednesday (Jul 26) is fruit of the collaboration between city authorities and the Holocaust Museum, in Curitiba.

The exhibit is a special tribute to the victims of Nazism—some 6 million, most of whom Jews, who were persecuted and annihilated by the totalitarian regime in force in Germany and the countries taken over by the Germans from 1933 to 1945.

Displayed in the area called Galeria do Tempo, near the museum's permanent exhibit, Holocaust is divided into three modules. In the first, visitors are invited to think about the tragedy through props, which emulates a gas chamber in a concentration camp and shows powerful photos from the period and thought-provoking quotations.

In the second module, the exhibit pays homage to the so-called “righteous among the nations”—a name given to those who risked their lives while attempting to save the Jews persecuted during the Second World War. The visit ends with assignments and texts written by public school students on the topic, mentioning initiatives aimed at preventing similar tragedies from taking place.

“To revisit the historical episode through this exhibit is a chance to see the past again and think about the present, thus conscientiously choosing the tomorrow we wish to live. In this sad period of history, the worst human traits prevailed—hate, intolerance, racism, and prejudice,” said Museum of Tomorrow Content Director Alfredo Tolmasquim.

The public is also given the opportunity to see the uniform used in one of the concentration camps by Hercz Rosenberg, a survivor who moved to Brazil after the war. The exhibit also features work by Fayga Ostrower (1920-2001), a Polish woman who also fled to Brazil and became a renowned visual artist. Also displayed are excerpts from testimonies by Holocaust survivors collected by the Shoah Foundation, founded by filmmaker Steven Spielberg.

Crivella

“As the most abject of atrocities was defeated by the world, which rose again to restore peace, Rio will also rediscover the path towards peace,” said Rio Mayor Marcelo Crivella.

Crivella visited the museum the week accompanied by Culture Secretary Nilcemar Nogueira, and Social Work and Human Rights Secretary Teresa Bergher, Israelite Honorary Consul Osias Wurman, head of the Israelite Foundation of Rio de Janeiro State Herry Rosenberg, and Roberto Marinho Foundation Executive Director Hugo Barreto.

The exhibit Holocaust – Light and Darkness can be visited until October 15.

Translated by Fabrício Ferreira