THE IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM LONDON: Michael Shaw THE HOLOCAUST EXHIBITION

Recently on the “Yesterday” channel I watched a programme about The Imperial War Museum in both London and Duxford with the main focus on London and the forthcoming Holocaust Exhibition. I was struck by the scale envisaged, the reverence with which even the preparation was accorded and the nature of exhibits including part of a railway carriage with original woodwork involving considerable conservation to retain the paintwork.

Finding a day when there was nothing else in my diary I set of to the Elephant and Castle and the museum. After a brief walk around some of the exhibits I set off to the Holocaust Exhibition. At the entrance there is a clear sign stating that this is not for children under the age of 14 and having seen the displays I fully understand why that notice is there.

This is a large exhibition that pulls no punches, as you walk around the full horror of the events unfolds in detail. The main thrust initially is about people and their lives in Germany, happy and often prosperous, living in harmony with neighbours. Many of the men featured served with distinction in the army during WW1 and were proud of their action but eventually to no avail. The rise of Nazi Germany with outright anti – Semitism is charted carefully and in detail, the aggression towards Roma and others is also featured in detail. Gradually the story unfolds in detail with the emphasis throughout on people with some artefacts, both Nazi German as well as Jewish, on display. There are photographs of people and accounts of escapes and the Kinder Transport.

As I moved through the rooms so the photographs began to change and gradually towards the end some of the images were graphic and upsetting, this is an exhibition that does not attempt to hide the truth nor shock it just presents the facts. What horrified me was the casual attitude of at least one German soldier who photographed the murder of women and children in detail.

The final room contains another message “that some may find the film being shown upsetting”. It is one I have seen before, the repatriation of Belson with the emaciated man searching through a blanket and others, many of whom died before they could be helped. The film also includes German Soldiers, both male and female, being made not only to see the results of their actions but also prepare graves for the dead. Finally the trials were covered along with the return to their homeland for the survivors bringing the exhibition to the end.

I left the exhibition drained of emotion; it brought to life the horrors of the Holocaust and the events that led to it happening. Focussing on people emphasises the horror of those events and perhaps the ease with which people were manipulated to turn against those they lived and worked alongside. Would I recommend the exhibition, yes I would. It is probably the most detailed respectful and careful exhibition on the subject I have ever seen; I am glad I went but it is not a visit I will repeat.