Hyde Park Holocaust Memorial facts for kids
| Holocaust Memorial | |
The Hyde Park Holocaust Memorial
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| Coordinates | 51°30′15.53″N 0°9′32.03″W / 51.5043139°N 0.1588972°W |
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| Location | Hyde Park London, SW1 |
| Designer | Mark Badger, Richard Seifert and Derek Lovejoy and Partners |
| Type | Memorial |
| Material | Granite boulder |
| Beginning date | 1983 |
| Completion date | 1983 |
| Opening date | 1983 |
| Dedicated to | Victims of the Holocaust |
The Holocaust Memorial in Hyde Park, London, is a special place built to remember the many people who suffered and died during the Holocaust. It was the very first public memorial in Great Britain to honor these victims. You can find it in a peaceful, open area of the park called The Dell, near the Serpentine Lake. Every year since it was opened in 1983, people gather here for services to remember those who were lost.
Building the Memorial
The memorial was built in 1983. The money for it came from the Board of Deputies of British Jews. This is a group that represents the Jewish community in Britain. The idea for the memorial was strongly supported by Greville Janner, who was their president at the time. He was also a Labour Party MP, which means he was an elected representative in the UK government.
The memorial was designed by Mark Badger, Richard Seifert, and a company called Derek Lovejoy and Partners. It was officially opened on June 28, 1983. A special service was held, led by Patrick Jenkin, Baron Jenkin of Roding, who was the Environment Secretary (a government minister) then. About 500 people attended the event.
Among the guests was Sir Immanuel Jakobovits, Baron Jakobovits, who was the Chief Rabbi for Jewish communities in the Commonwealth. During the service, Jenkin said the memorial was "a reminder of the past and a warning for the future." The people there sang hymns and a special Sabbath hymn called "Adon Olam".
Gerald Kaufman, another important politician, also spoke. His grandmother had been killed by the Nazis in Poland. He said the memorial was very important because other countries shared some responsibility for what happened, not just Germany.
What the Memorial Looks Like
The memorial has two large granite boulders. They rest on a bed of gravel. Around them, there is a small group of silver birch trees. These trees are known for their white bark.
Words are carved into the memorial in both English and Hebrew. They say: "For these I weep. Streams of tears flow from my eyes because of the destruction of my people." These words come from an ancient book called the Book of Lamentations. They express deep sadness for the terrible losses suffered by the Jewish people.
