Sweden’s new Holocaust Museum opens in Stockholm
On 21 June, the Swedish Holocaust Museum opened its doors for the first time in central Stockholm. The museum’s first exhibition, Seven lives, opened at the same time. The exhibition is about seven people who, against all odds, survived the Holocaust and came to Sweden. Together with the exhibition, the museum also offers archives, guided tours and interactive biographies.
The exhibition, Seven lives, includes personal testimonies and original objects, letters and photographs. While exploring seven life stories, visitors can also find out more about the Holocaust, the underlying reasons behind the Holocaust and what Sweden did during the Second World War.
“Seven lives is based on the collection that has been gathered so far by the Swedish Holocaust Museum and is a personal narrative based on many things. Through seven very different stories, visitors can follow what happened in 1930s Germany and get a sense of the terrible conditions in the Nazi camps. There is additional information, so that these life stories can be related to larger global events and international politics,” says exhibition producer Frida Starck Lindfors.
The Swedish Holocaust Museum was formally established on 1 July 2022 and is part of the government agency National Historical Museums. The museum collaborates with stakeholders both in Sweden and internationally. One collaboration is Dimensions in Testimony Sweden. Dimensions in Testimony was developed by the USC Shoah Foundation and will be in place at Torsgatan 19 together with the Seven lives exhibition. Using this installation, museum visitors will be able to ask questions to two Holocaust survivors, Tobias Rawet and Elisabeth Citrom.
“As well as the Seven lives exhibition, visitors will also be able to find out more from historical archives, interactive biographies, programmes, and guided tours. We will be offering what most museums do. At the same time, we are exploring the fantastic opportunities that a totally new museum offers, says Katherine Hauptman, Director of the Swedish Holocaust Museum.
The museum’s purpose is to preserve and pass on the memory of the Holocaust. The museum is intended to deepen and develop knowledge of the Holocaust on a national level. One of the starting points is survivors of the Holocaust who have a connection to Sweden. Seven lives opened on 21 June and the museum has free admission during 2023.
Read more about the exhibition here.
Dimensions in Testimony was developed in association with Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, with technology by USC Institute for Creative Technologies, and concept by Conscience Display. Funding for Dimensions in Testimony was provided in part by Pears Foundation, Louis. F. Smith, Melinda Goldrich and Andrea Cayton/Goldrich Family Foundation in honor of Jona Goldrich, Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, and Genesis Philanthropy Group (R.A.). Other partners include CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center.
The production of the two Swedish testimonies is a collaboration between National Historical Museums, Jewish Culture in Sweden and the USC Shoah Foundation in the United States.
The government agency National Historical Museums includes the Swedish Holocaust Museum, the Economy Museum – Royal Coin Cabinet, The Hallwyl Museum, The Royal Armoury, Skokloster Castle, Tumba Paper Mill Museum, and the contract archaeology service The Archaeologists.
