Americans and the Holocaust Traveling Exhibition Coming to the Columbus Public Library

The Chattahoochee Valley Libraries’ Columbus Public Library  is one of 50 U.S. libraries selected to host Americans and the Holocaust, a traveling exhibition from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum that examines the motives, pressures and fears that shaped Americans’ responses to Nazism, war and genocide in Europe during the 1930s and 1940s.

The touring library exhibition — based on the special exhibition of the same name at the Museum in Washington, D.C. — will travel to U.S. libraries from 2020 to 2024.

Americans and the Holocaust will be on display at the Columbus Public Library along with a series of related special events, from July 10 to August 18. Also on display during this time will be Americans and the Holocaust: The Chattahoochee Valley, a collection of artifacts from the Columbus Museum that highlight our area’s connection to the themes of the traveling exhibition.

Based on extensive new research of that period, Americans and the Holocaust addresses important themes in American history, exploring the many factors — including the Great Depression, isolationism, xenophobia, racism and antisemitism — that influenced decisions made by the U.S. government, the news media, organizations and individuals as they responded to Nazism. This exhibition will challenge the commonly held assumptions that Americans knew little and did nothing about the Nazi persecution and murder of Jews as the Holocaust unfolded.

Drawing on a remarkable collection of primary sources from the 1930s and ’40s, the exhibition focuses on the stories of individuals and groups of Americans who took action in response to Nazism. It will challenge visitors to consider the responsibilities and obstacles faced by individuals — from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to ordinary Americans — who made difficult choices, sought to effect change, and, in a few cases, took significant risks to help victims of Nazism even as rescue never became a government priority.

Americans And The Holocaust: The Chattahoochee Valley 
July 10 - August 18

While our sister organization The Columbus Museum undergoes renovation, we are happy to display artifacts and images from their collection related to WWII service of local veterans Judge Aaron Cohn and Charles Maupin.  

Georgia's Response To The Holocaust: Survivors And Liberators
July 10 - August 18  

The panel display from Georiga's commission on the Holocaust and the Georgia Public Library Services pays tribute to Georgians directly impacted by the rise of Nazism in Europe.