Nearly eight decades have passed since the end of the Second World War and of the Holocaust. Friday is a painful reminder of the absence of the six million Jewish victims of genocide and the growing number of survivors and witnesses who are no longer with us. For the past several decades, they have shared their stories, instilling in future generations the dangers of hatred and intolerance that all too often are allowed to go unchecked.

As the number of living survivors continues to dwindle, the role of the Center is as important as ever. For the last 25 years, the Center has sought to connect scholars and community members who continue the work survivors began in the aftermath of the Holocaust. Preserving the memory of their memory, and ensuring educators and students across the state have access to resources and materials, is of paramount importance.

This spring, the Center will continue to share new insight into the study of the Holocaust, and along the way tell the stories of those whose lives were shaped by the horrors of genocide. Our semester of events begins Monday when we welcome Andreas Kranebitter, the newly appointed Director of the Documentation Center of Austrian Resistance in Vienna, for a talk on the formation of Holocaust memory in the aftermath of liberation.

This semester we’re also embarking on an exciting project with the Upper Midwest Jewish Archives, exploring our related collections to share the stories of Minnesotans who survived the Holocaust with the aim of developing new ways to share these materials with audiences in the future.

Finally, in May, the Center is hosting its first study abroad course in Poland with the renowned organization Yahad-In Unum. Students will learn about the earliest stages of the Holocaust and the ongoing efforts by Yahad-In Unum to ensure these crimes are documented and memory of the events preserved. Students will meet with experts in the field, visit sites, and have a rare opportunity to meet eyewitnesses to the Holocaust by bullets.

As the length of time between the Holocaust and the present continues to widen, initiatives like these will ensure that future generations of Minnesotans never forget.

Thank you,

Joe Eggers
Interim Director