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Keeping the Real Preserved

In the Auschwitz article, the problem that they are having with this place as a museum is the fact that they are trying to preserve everything thats real, without making it too modern. They want people to come and be able to see and feel the real place and cemetery that it was and still is. They don’t want to replace the artifacts and buildings that they have with something that looks real and is actually fake, and not from that time. Over a million people visit this place each year. They don’t want to make it look pretty, but they want to make it for the people, and they want to make it have an affect on the people. I personally don’t want them to change much. If I were to visit Auschwitz, I would want it to look as close to it did during the holocaust as it does now. I wouldn’t want them putting in things that look authentic, that actually aren’t. Which is why I chose this fake leaf to symbolize something that looks real, but isn’t.




My reaction was same as yours too. I didn’t understand why they would try to change or ‘update’ something that stands for itself.


I feel that they could add more artificial stuff as long as it was to match the theme of the memorial. Just like we talked about in class we have to think of whats absence, maybe if they could add more interactive objects to the memorial. This could emerge the viewer in a way that might not of been possible with just whats there now.


I completely agree as well, they shouldn’t change a single thing. All of their concentration should be put towards keeping Auschwitz the way it originally looked. Adding things that look authentic and aren’t is possibly the worst decision I have ever heard. Disney World does that kind of stuff for its rides and it has no place in Auschwitz.


It’s interesting how far people will go to preserve the ‘real’ historical things. I think there was an article a few weeks ago that discussed how the Gettysburg National Military Park is manicured to appear as ‘…the soldiers would have experienced on the battlefield.’

I think that’s a little bit silly, it’s like a historian’s playground; catering to reenactments and whatnot (it is a graveyard). With more sensitive places like Auschwitz, I can understand that there is a responsibility to effectively communicate the events that took place there. While also paying due diligence to those who perished there as well.

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