In a significant stride towards Holocaust remembrance and education, the Holocaust Memorial Monuments Database has documented over 1,200 memorial monuments around the globe. This project, launched in 2022 by Haim Shaked, director of the Sue and Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies at the University of Miami and the George Feldenkreis Program in Judaic Studies at the College of Arts and Sciences, is now the largest known repository of information about Holocaust memorial monuments.
The project aims to create a comprehensive, searchable database that consolidates information about Holocaust memorials from around the globe. With an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 Holocaust memorials in existence, the initiative seeks to provide a centralized repository for documentation, historical context, and iconographic analysis of each monument. The database is a valuable resource for researchers, educators, and the general public, offering insights into how the Holocaust is commemorated across different cultures and regions.
The initiative was inspired by a chance discovery. While visiting a Jewish cemetery in Cannes, France, Shaked came across a Holocaust memorial monument that was largely unknown. "I saw an amazing monument to the Holocaust, and I thought to myself, 'Wow. No one knows about it,'" stated Shaked, a professor in the Department of International Studiesand the Dr. M. Lee Pearce Chair in Middle East Peace Studies.
Under Shaked's leadership, the project has become a collaborative effort involving the Sue and Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies, the George Feldenkreis Program in Judaic Studies, Vladimir Levin at the Center for Jewish Art at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Samuel D. Gruber at the International Survey of Jewish Monuments in New York.
The database serves multiple purposes. It is a useful educational tool, offering a systematic approach to understanding Holocaust remembrance through art and architecture. The entries contain high-quality photographs, detailed descriptions, artist information, and translations of inscriptions. Each monument's iconography is analyzed, cataloging elements such as the Star of David and the Tablets of the Law.
In addition to being a historical and academic resource, the database has practical implications for communicating and planning new memorials.
"By examining existing monuments in the database, designers and policymakers can gain insight into how different societies have chosen to remember the Holocaust," said Leonidas Bachas, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Over the past year, the team has significantly expanded the database, adding new entries from many countries, including Austria, Argentina, Belarus, Chile, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, and the United States. Notably, in Israel, the team has focused documentation efforts on the Holon cemetery near Tel Aviv and the Chamber of the Holocaust in Jerusalem. In addition, the team has established partnerships with other organizations worldwide, including the Israel Genealogical Society's "Memorials to Vanished Communities" project, which contributed records for over 1,400 previously documented memorials.
The database is more than a collection of information; it is a living resource that continues to evolve. The team behind the project envisions its integration into academic programs, particularly in Holocaust studies, including the Holocaust-related courses the College of Arts and Sciences currently offers, like "The Holocaust Through Film, Memoir and Testimony" and "History of the Holocaust." The database also has the potential to support more specialized studies and community engagement initiatives, and the project leaders are working on securing funding to develop a guidebook to help educators integrate the database into their curricula.
One of the project's long-term goals is to develop methodologies for using Holocaust memorials as educational tools. "A community that has a memorial can use it for educational purposes," Shaked explained. "Not just to have events on commemorative dates, but to actively engage students and visitors in learning about the Holocaust."
A precedent for this exists in Miami Beach, home to one of the world's most significant open-air Holocaust memorials. "We take our students in the Holocaust class to see it, and the impact is more impressive than 10 lectures," Shaked said, highlighting the power of physical spaces in teaching history.
The Holocaust Memorial Monuments Database is a pioneering effort in preserving the memory of one of history's darkest chapters. By making this information accessible to all, the project ensures that the stories behind these memorials continue to be told, fostering a deeper understanding of the Holocaust for generations to come.
