Objects

What role do objects play in our everyday lives?

Everyday we use different objects. We use our phones, a pen, a cup, a pillow, a toothbrush, a bag... without even thinking about it. While some objects do not have specific meaning to us, others do: the blanket we used as a child, the scarf we received as a gift, the earrings we wear for specials occasions. These objects have a story to tell.

There are many objects that tell stories about the Holocaust. They were found after the liberation at the sites of former concentration camps, former ghettos or were stored by survivors and their families. Some of these objects are things that were used everyday: hairbrushes or shoes. Others were created during the Holocaust, such as games or clothing created in a camp with the very few materials available. Some objects have even more meaning because they belonged to someone who did not survive.

Many objects represent the memory of the Holocaust. This could be memorials and stones, museums, candles, movies, songs and poems. The French historian Pierre Nora called these physical appearances of memory lieux de memoire--or sites of memory.


More than a spoon

For Emmie this spoon is not just a spoon. It is the only thing she has from her mother. She uses the spoon every day. And each time she uses the spoon, she thinks even one, simple spoon of sugar could have saved her mother's life in the camp. This happens to many survivors: they feel happy that they survived, but also sad that people they loved died. Sometimes they even feel guilty about surviving.

When Barbara talked with Emmie, she took many notes. She also recorded the interviews and had them transcribed. This way she could identify and return to the most important passages in Emmie's narration. When working on how to talk about the death of Emmie's mother and how Emmie remembers her everyday, she found key phrases that became part of a draft panel.