Holocaust Monument/ Martyrs Memorial
"You are viewing the culmination of some 25 years of planning and preparation, leading to the dedication of this monument on April 26, 1992. It was erected here to honor the memory of the six million who were murdered in the Nazi barbarism between 1933 and 1945. Construction in the public park, at a cost of some $3 million was made possible by donations of generous, concerned individuals, organizations, foundations and corporations. Its location, on Los Angeles County Park land, allows everyone to view it without cost. Although it can be seen from many areas of the beautiful Pan Pacific Park, the site is at the North end, apart from much of the ongoing park activities. This affords those visiting the monument a quiet place for contemplation, meditation or to be alone with their thoughts. Created by renowned Los Angeles artist Dr. Joseph L Young, it contains a great deal of Holocaust symbolism. The dominant features of the site are the six 18-foot high, black, triangular granite columns reaching skyward, honoring the six million The columns also symbolize the crematoria smoke stacks. In the center of the columns is an "invisible" seventh column, representing us, the living, who must carry on the memory of those who were martyred, urging us to create a better world, devoid of hatred and violence, as we learn to live together. On the platform of the monument are names in three concentric hexagons. The outer hexagon lists the countries conquered by the Germans and the numbers of Jews annihilated in each. Moving to the left the countries are listed in the order each fell before the German onslaught. Along the center hexagon are the names of the concentration camps and the year each opened. The inner hexagon contains the names of the death camps. Behind the Monument, on the walls of the Museum, are where the names of family members lost in the Holocaust can be memorialized. On another section of this wall are the names of those whose contributions made the creation of this monument possible. The Monument is a place to mourn loved ones who perished in the Holocaust and have no known graves. Some place pebbles, a tradition that some observe when leaving a cemetery. Creation of the Los Angeles Holocaust Monument in Pan Pacific Park was made possible through the efforts of the American Congress of Jews from Poland and Survivors of Concentration Camps. This group appointed the Los Angeles Holocaust Monument Committee, composed of civic leaders of all faiths and backgrounds, all committed to making the truth about the Holocaust an imperishable part of humanity’s consciousness.”
Works Cited:
"Virtual Tour - LAMH." Virtual Tour - LAMH. Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust , n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2017. <http://www.lamoth.org/exhibitions/virtual-tour/>.