Memory Passages: Holocaust Memorials in the United States and Germany

Memory Passages is a book that examines Holocaust memorials in the US and Germany from the postwar period to the present, exploring changing attitudes toward the Holocaust and the artistic choices that respond to it. It introduces lesser-known sculptures and internationally-acclaimed works, and archival documents and interviews with commissioners, survivors, and artists reveal the conversations and decisions that have shaped Holocaust memorials. The book suggests that memorial designers challenge visitors to navigate and activate spaces to engage with history and memory.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 250 pages
Publication date: 14 October 2022
Publisher: Temple University Press,U.S.

For decades, artists and architects have grappled with the challenge of representing the Holocaust in visual form, leading to a wide array of memorials that employ diverse aesthetic strategies. In her groundbreaking work, Memory Passages, Natasha Goldman delves into both previously overlooked and internationally renowned Holocaust memorials in the United States and Germany, spanning from the postwar period to the present. Drawing upon a wealth of historical documents, Goldman offers a comprehensive analysis of these memorials, exploring their changing attitudes toward the Holocaust and the artistic choices that respond to it.

The book introduces a range of lesser-known sculptures, such as Nathan Rapoport's Monument to the Six Million Jewish Martyrs in Philadelphia, alongside internationally acclaimed masterpieces like Peter Eisenman's Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin. Other artists examined in the book include Will Lammert, Richard Serra, Joel Shapiro, Gerson Fehrenbach, Margit Kahl, and Andy Goldsworthy. Archival documents and interviews with commissioners, survivors, and artists shed light on the conversations and decisions that have shaped Holocaust memorials.

Memory Passages offers a unique perspective on Holocaust memorials by examining them through the lenses of visual culture and art history. It challenges visitors to navigate and activate spaces, encouraging them to engage with history and memory through the act of walking or meandering. This book holds immense value for anyone teaching or seeking to deepen their understanding of the Holocaust, providing a comprehensive and insightful exploration of this tragic chapter in human history.

Dimension: 229 x 152 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781439914243