Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre

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Coordinates: 26°10′17″S 28°02′00″E / 26.1715°S 28.0332°E / -26.1715; 28.0332
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Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre
Map
Established2019
Location1 Duncombe Rd
Forest Town
Johannesburg
Coordinates26°10′17″S 28°02′00″E / 26.1715°S 28.0332°E / -26.1715; 28.0332
TypeHolocaust museum
DirectorTali Nates
Websitewww.jhbholocaust.co.za

The Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre (JHGC) is a

Holocaust and genocide centre situated in Forest Town in Johannesburg, South Africa. The building fronts Jan Smuts Avenue, a major road in the city.[1] The centre opened in its permanent purpose-built site in 2019, having operated from a temporary site since 2008.[2][3]

The JHGC has sister centres in Cape Town (Cape Town Holocaust Centre) and Durban (Durban Holocaust Centre), and together they form part of the association "the South African Holocaust & Genocide Foundation (SAHGF)".[4] The SAHGF determines the educational and philosophical direction of the centre.[5] It also conducts teacher training and is the only accredited service-provider for in-service training in Holocaust education in the country. It has trained over 5,000 teachers.[6] The centre explores the history of genocide in the 20th century, focusing on case studies from the Holocaust and the 1994 Rwandan genocide.[4]

History

The origins of the centre can be traced back to 1994. There was major public interest in an

Diary of Anne Frank had also been of the books available to Robben Island prisoners.[7] At the launch, Mandela said: "During the many years my comrades and I spent in prison, we derived inspiration from the courage and tenacity of those who challenge injustice even under the most difficult circumstances. . . . Some of us read Anne Frank's Diary on Robben Island and derived much encouragement from it."[7]

The centre was founded by a native

City of Johannesburg to choose a location for the site.[5] It is located on the previous site of the Bernberg Fashion Museum, started by two Jewish sisters, Anna and Theresa Bernberg, to house their fashion collections.[9] The sisters bequeathed the property to the City on the condition that it be used as a museum or art gallery.[5]

Architecture

The centre was designed by architect, Lewis Levin, who informed his plans by having discussions with survivors of the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide.

Birkenau. The cobblestones on the ground represent the cobbled streets of many European cities. The large, rectangular granite slabs evoke tombstones and are symbolise the nameless victims and their unmarked graves. A memorial wall contains the names of child victims from the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide.[11]

Permanent exhibition

The exhibition of the Holocaust includes interviews with seven Holocaust survivors that emigrated to South Africa and Pretoria resident, Jaap van Proosdij, who saved dozens of Jews.[5]

References

  1. ^ Sassen, Robyn (2019-03-29). "SA genocide museum opens". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  2. ^ a b Nicolson, Greg (2015-09-01). "Coming soon to Johannesburg: Holocaust & Genocide Centre". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  3. ^ a b "Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre: Using the past to protect the present and future". Africa Renewal. 2020-08-17. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  4. ^ a b "About". The Johannesburg Holocaust & Genocide Centre. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  5. ^ a b c d e Schneider, Moira (2010-10-05). "S. African museum to juxtapose Holocaust with Rwandan genocide". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  6. ^ 20 years on, Africa’s first Holocaust center has a universal message on genocide Times of Israel. 8 June 2019
  7. ^ a b c d "Memory Going Global: The Jewish Museum and Holocaust Centre in Cape Town". AJS Perspectives. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  8. ^ Staff Reporter (1994-08-19). "Anne Frank Through a Prism Of The Present". The Mail & Guardian. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  9. ^ "After darkness, light". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  10. ^ May, Jackie (2018-10-26). "Architect of Change 5: Lewis Levin on the Johannesburg Holocaust and Genocide Centre". twyg. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
  11. ^ JHGC catalogue Retrieved on 29 October 2023

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johannesburg_Holocaust_and_Genocide_Centre&oldid=1192194403"