UK Holocaust Memorial facts for kids
The UK Holocaust Memorial is a planned special place and learning center in the United Kingdom. Its main goal is to keep alive the stories of British people who survived the Holocaust. It also honors those who helped free people from concentration camps. The memorial will remember all Jewish victims of the Holocaust. It will also remember other groups persecuted by the Nazis, like the Roma people, LGBT people, and disabled people.
The memorial is planned for Victoria Tower Gardens. This is a Royal Park right next to the Houses of Parliament. Some people are concerned about this plan. They worry because the park is very popular. Also, the memorial would take up about a quarter of the park's green space.
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Why is a New Memorial Needed?
In January 2014, the UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, created a special group called the Holocaust Commission. This group was asked to find out how Britain could better remember the Holocaust. They also wanted to make sure its important lessons were never forgotten.
The Commission asked people across the country for their ideas. Nearly 2,500 people responded. One of the biggest meetings of Holocaust survivors in Britain happened at Wembley Stadium.
The Holocaust Commission shared its report in 2015. It found a few key things:
- Many people were not happy with the old national memorial in Hyde Park.
- Important lessons about the Holocaust were not reaching enough young people.
- Projects helping Holocaust education in different parts of the country did not have enough support or long-term money.
- The stories of survivors and liberators needed to be recorded and saved quickly.
Because of these findings, the Commission suggested:
- Building a new, striking National Memorial.
- Creating a world-class Learning Centre. This center would be the heart of a network for education across the country.
- Setting up a fund to make sure Holocaust education, including the new Learning Centre, has money for a long time.
- Starting a quick program to record and save the stories of British Holocaust survivors and liberators.
Creating the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation
The report also suggested creating a new organization. This group would work on recording survivor stories. It would also get the money needed for the new memorial and learning center. Finally, it would find a good place for them.
So, the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation (UKHMF) was formed to manage this big project.
The British government gave £50 million for the memorial. Later, this was increased to £75 million. Another £25 million is planned to come from donations. More money is still being looked for to build the learning center.
In September 2015, the UKHMF described what they wanted for the Memorial and the learning center. In 2016, they looked at over fifty possible locations. In July 2016, they announced that Victoria Tower Gardens was chosen. This spot would be for both the memorial and the underground learning center.
What Will the Memorial and Learning Centre Be Like?
The learning center will offer visitors engaging ways to learn about the Holocaust. It will also cover other terrible events where large groups of people were harmed. Visitors will see old photos, watch films, and listen to audio recordings.
The government will help pay for the running costs of the Memorial and Learning Centre. This will be in addition to money from visitors and donations. If approved, the center is expected to open in 2024.
On January 28, 2021, Robert Jenrick, a government minister, announced something important. He said that entry to the proposed center would always be free for everyone. He explained that this would make the UK like other countries with major memorials and museums. It would also assure Holocaust survivors that their stories would always be available to everyone.
Designing the Memorial
An international competition was held to choose the design for the UK Holocaust Centre. In October 2017, the winning design was announced. It was created by a team led by British-Ghanaian architect David Adjaye. Ron Arad Architects helped with the memorial design. Gustafson Porter + Bowman designed the landscape.
The design combines a memorial sculpture with an underground learning center. This center will teach visitors about unfair treatment and discrimination. The Memorial has 23 bronze "fins" or tall, thin pieces. The spaces between these fins stand for the 22 countries where Jewish communities were destroyed during the Holocaust. These spaces also act as paths leading down to a hall called the 'Threshold'. This hall then leads into the Learning Centre. There will also be a "contemplation court" and a "hall of testimonies."
Some people who do not want the memorial built in this park have criticized the design. They say it is too similar to a design that was rejected for a Holocaust Memorial in Ottawa, Canada.
David Adjaye, the main architect, caused some debate. He said that making people think deeply, even if it "disrupts" the usual enjoyment of a park, is a key part of the design. Some writers and critics have also shared their concerns about the park. This led to many discussions in the news. Some important groups, like Historic England, also sent in critical comments.
Politicians have also shared their views. Some Jewish members of the House of Lords wrote a letter saying the memorial "evokes neither Holocaust nor Jewish history." More recently, 174 politicians signed a statement supporting the project. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has also expressed his concerns about the growing opposition.
Planning Decisions and Public Inquiry
Lord Pickles and Ed Balls, who lead the UKHMF, asked Robert Jenrick, a government minister, to review the planning application. On November 6, 2019, another minister, Esther McVay, decided to "call in" the application. This means the government would make the final decision, not the local council.
A spokesperson said that a public inquiry would be held. An independent planning inspector would lead it. The minister would then make the final decision based on the inspector's advice.
Westminster Council, the local authority, said they would judge the plan fairly. However, in February 2020, Westminster City Council's planning committee voted to reject the plan. They said it did not follow planning rules for size, design, and location.
The public inquiry took place from October 6 to November 13, 2020. Because of COVID-19 rules, it was held online. The inspector's report was sent to the government minister by April 30, 2021.
Concerns About the Location
Victoria Tower Gardens is a public park along the River Thames in London. It is next to the Victoria Tower, part of the Palace of Westminster. The park stretches south from the Palace to Lambeth Bridge. It is located between Millbank and the river.
Victoria Tower Gardens is a very old park, created between 1864 and 1870. It is a "Grade II* listed park," which means it is very important historically. It is also in a "Conservation Area," meaning its special character is protected. Part of it is even within a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is a place recognized globally for its special value. It is also called a "zone of Monument Saturation," meaning there are already many memorials there.
The park already has three memorials that highlight unfairness: The Burghers of Calais, the Buxton Memorial Fountain, and the Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst Memorial. The project designers want the new memorial to fit in with these. However, groups against the project say the Holocaust memorial is much bigger and different from the existing ones.
The park also has a small playground for children. It often hosts cultural events, like art displays and outdoor film screenings. Many people love it as a surprisingly quiet green space in the middle of London.
Many groups have raised concerns about building the memorial in this park. ICOMOS, an official advisor to UNESCO, said the building would "interrupt" the important view of the Tower and Palace. They also worried that two lines of trees might not survive the construction. The Royal Parks, which manages many UK parks, supports the idea of a memorial. But they believe its size and design would "harm" the park's character and use.
The Environment Agency is concerned about flood defenses. They said the building could affect the flood walls that protect local businesses and homes. This could make the area more likely to flood quickly. Another concern is that during construction, there might be unexploded bombs from World War II underground. This would make building the memorial even more complicated. Lord Carlile, a former expert on terror laws, said placing the memorial so close to the Houses of Parliament creates a "terrorism risk."
A local group called ‘Save Victoria Tower Gardens’ is actively opposing the plan. They have gathered over 10,000 signatures on a petition. They have also written letters to major newspapers. On the other hand, the UKHMF, which supports the project, has also been active in the news. They submitted many responses to the local council's consultation. Over 90% of the responses to the public consultation were against the proposed development.
The government was criticized for how it gathered public opinion. They hired a company called Big Ideas to share information about the design and collect responses. This company focused on contacting Jewish community groups. They got many responses, all in favor of the plan and often with similar wording. These were then sent to Westminster Council. In October 2019, it was revealed that the government spent about £140,000 on private campaigning companies. In November 2019, people who want a memorial to the Transatlantic Slave Trade complained. They noted that the Holocaust Memorial Foundation gets a lot of public money, but their project does not.
Other UK Holocaust Memorial Sites
The Heritage Lottery Fund has given money to other Holocaust education projects. In 2018 and 2019, they helped open a Holocaust Education and Learning Centre in Huddersfield. They also helped update and expand the Beth Shalom Holocaust Centre in Nottinghamshire.
In August 2019, the Imperial War Museum announced plans to spend over £30 million. This money will create new galleries at its London site. These galleries will focus on the Holocaust and its importance in World War II. They are set to open in 2021 and will replace the museum's current Holocaust exhibition.
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UK Holocaust Memorial is located in City of Westminster
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UK Holocaust Memorial
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UK Holocaust Memorial is located in Greater London
