Detroit became home for thousands of survivors of Germany's concentration camps. A museum depicting the experience of this ever-dwindling group of people was inevitable.This place is not for the faint-of-heart. History has not treated Jews kindly. Man's inhumanity to man was never more brutally visited on a people than Hitler in World War II. His goal was to exterminate a race of people. But for the intervention of the United States in 1941, he might have succeeded. There is visual and written evidence, often brutal, presented from many (if not all) of the concentration camps spread across most of Europe. A wall contains the name of all of them. Six million Jews were killed in Hitler's camps. There are docents who will guide you throughout the museum. If you are lucky, a survivor of the horrible camps may be present to tell you of his or her survival. But his narration will also include the loss of loved ones. He may show you the tatoo inked into his forearm by his Nazi captor. His voice may be strong and resolute. But you know his experience is a scar as clear as a cut on a forehead. It is a "must" experience for all, secular and reilgious. You will never forget it.
A wonderful and meaningful display of crimes against humanity during WWII. So glad that this is documented this way so we remember and future generations can see what happened. They have done a great job presenting it, a guided tour included and a talk with a survivor. Admission is extremely reasonable. This is a must see museum/documentary. Not for young children. Suggest teens to adult.
This is a fabulous trip. You see Glacier National Park, ride a speed boat down the snake riverthrough Hells Canyon, go to Mt Ranier National Park. Everyday is interesting. One of our bettertrips
Excellent museum and memorial, has many exhibits that change periodically. It is very well organized and the staff is very knowledgeable and helpful. I recommend it without reservation.
Thanks to the docent who took our group through the center. It was very well presented and we enjoyed the historical look at our history.
This is a beautiful tribute to all those who died in or survived through the holocaust. The day we visited we were blessed to hear two survivors speak. It was impressive. I wished my two teenagers were with me. Kids need to hear this.
I actually went first for a special presentation. Then I was part of a tour. Having been to other Holocaust Museums in Berlin and Israel I can say that this one stands right with them. I was impressed with the amount of information they had and how helpful everyone was.
Most of the visitors to the museum, they said, are not Jewish. It is so important to see the dramatic extremes our ignorance can and did result in. Prejudice is so dangerous, please see this museum.
The history of the Jewish Faith and its expansion across Europe begins the story. The next part is the history of the persecution of Jews where ever they had chosen to live. The story continues with the rise of the Nazis in Germany and the terrible ordeal of the people who were undesirables to the Germans. Their stories are told with quite a collection of personal items donated to the museum. The story of the ship St. Louis was something I had not heard about before. One of the most unique items was a train car just like the ones used to transport people to the concentration camps. It is a powerful monument that you can see from the entrance.The only draw back is the very low tech museum shop (think paper calculator and three copy carbon sales slips!)
This memorial is a tasteful, powerful, and informative experience that takes the visitor through not only a mental but a spiritual journey. I would recommend this memorial center to anyone who visits Michigan