Our Permanent Exhibit

Our permanent exhibit begins with the Nazi rise to power, and includes examples of the hateful propaganda common to the day. Photographs, films, artifacts, and maps continue the story, bringing to life the 12 years of Nazi rule across Europe, and tracing the incremental steps that led to murder in the killing fields and death camps. This exhibit includes a Torah Scroll on permanent loan from the Westminster Synagogue in London.

A smaller exhibit dedicated to the Holocaust survivors who settled in San Antonio after liberation and to American soldiers who liberated the concentration camps is located in the back room of the museum. Visitors to the Holocaust Memorial Museum are also encouraged to spend time in a contemplative area, located on an exterior terrace, that memorializes those who perished during the Holocaust.

In America 1933-45: Response to the Holocaust

Special Permanent Display

In an outside corridor, adjacent to the main exhibit, is a special display titled, “In America 1933-45; Response to the Holocaust”, which traces American reaction and involvement in events unfolding in Europe.

The American response to the Nazi assault on Jews between 1933-1945 continues to be the subject of contentious debate. While there is no doubt that the United States played a dominant role in the ultimate defeat of Germany, questions remain about the government’s reluctance to offer a haven to Jewish refugees or take steps to aid Hitler’s victims. Although individual Americans and some organizations reacted to reports of Nazi atrocities with outrage, President Franklin Roosevelt, for the most part, turned away from the moral challenge. He condemned Nazi anti-Semitism but maintained that the defeat of Germany was the only way to put an end to its genocidal policies.

Times of Betrayal & Defiance

Following Nazi occupation the Jewish population in France lost their homes, businesses and freedom. This exhibit follows the story of one man who risked his life to help his Jewish employers, and how he was betrayed by those closest to him.

Seeking Justice: The Real Nazi Hunters

In the aftermath of the Second World War many Nazis were prosecuted at the Nuremberg Trials, however, some escaped justice. This exhibit highlights the heroic real-life efforts of those who have dedicated their lives to tracking down Nazi war criminals.

Isolation

Traveling exhibit available

From 1933 to 1945, those deemed inferior or unwanted by Hitler and the Nazi party faced many forms of isolation. Through the use of propaganda and censorship, those targeted were slowly isolated from society. These groups saw their civil rights gradually taken away and eventually disenfranchised, losing the protections afforded by citizenship. Without these protections the Nazis were able to begin physically segregating these groups from society with the introduction of ghettos, and later killing centers. For survivors of Hitler’s 12-year regime, the long-term effects of isolation continue to affect them decades after the Holocaust.

Warsaw Ghetto Uprising

The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising began on April 19, 1943, and was the largest act of Jewish resistance during the Holocaust. The uprising began in response to the final push by Nazi Germany to liquidate the ghettos and take the remaining prisoners to the death camps at Majdanek and Treblinka. Over 7,000 Jews were killed during the uprising and another 42,000 were deported to concentration camps.

The Czech Memorial Scroll

The Torah scroll on display here, which was copied onto parchment by a pious scribe in 1830, was removed from a synagogue in Slany, Czechoslovakia. Because it is badly damaged, it can no longer be used for worship services. The scroll, numbered 534, is one of the 1564 Czech Memorial Torahs which were saved from destroyed Jewish communities during Nazi occupation. It is on permanent loan from the Westminster Synagogue in London, England.