Olympus-OM
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [OM] IMG: Czech Holocaust memorial

Subject: Re: [OM] IMG: Czech Holocaust memorial
From: Peter Klein <boulanger.croissant@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2017 21:02:41 -0700
Corrected link for the photo of art by children of the Terezin concentration camp:
<https://www.flickr.com/photos/24844563@N04/35766092394/in/dateposted-public/>

Nathan is correct, the way I worded my caption implied that Communism fell later than it actually did. I've fixed it. The actual story is more complicated than fit into a caption. When the Prague Holocaust Memorial was closed (undoubtedly due to Soviet pressure), the official reason given was "to protect it from moisture." After the Velvet Revolution, the inscriptions had to be restored due to--you guessed it--damage from moisture. That took several years.

I strongly suspect the real reason why the exhibit was closed was the same reason why, for a long time, there was no monument at Babi Yar (site of a huge mass shooting of Jews from Kiev). And when one was finally built, it only mentioned that "Soviet citizens" were killed. It was long Soviet policy that Jews should get no special mention (or any at all) regarding Nazi mass killings. This silent Holcaust denial helped shade the East Germans from collective guilt, gave ideological cover for Stalin's campaign against "Rootless Cosmopolitans" and later treatment of Jewish "Refuseniks" who wanted to leave the USSR, and helped ingratiate the Soviets with Arab countries.

--Peter

> Nathan wrote:
> Hi Peter,
>
> Thanks for sharing these. Two things, however: the third link points to the > same image as the second. And: while the museum may not have reopened until
> 1995, Communism fell in 1989/90.
>
> These photos remind me of the Heydrich assassination?here was one top Nazi
> who got what he deserved early on:
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinhard_Heydrich
>
> Of course, it did not change the course of the war, and the consequences for
> the Czech people were terrible, but still.
>
> Cheers,
> Nathan

--
_________________________________________________________________
Options: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/listinfo/olympus
Archives: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/private/olympus/
Themed Olympus Photo Exhibition: http://www.tope.nl/

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Sponsored by Tako
Impressum | Datenschutz