Amsterdam Monument To Name 102K Holocaust Victims
A Holocaust monument will be erected in the Dutch capital next year naming 102,000 victims of the Nazi occupation, giving long overdue recognition to those deported to death camps, campaigners said on Wednesday.
The “Holocaust Names Monument”, the first of its kind in the Netherlands, will be designed by Jewish American architect Daniel Libeskind. It is to be completed in 2015, 70 years after the end of World War Two, authorities in the city, home of Anne Frank’s house, said in a statement.
“In percentage terms, The Netherlands had the highest deportation rate in Western Europe, but there is no such monument here to honour their memory,” said Jacques Grishaver, chairman of the Dutch Auschwitz Committee.
“Their names had vanished into thin air. Now the family members of the victims will have a place to go and a name on a plaque to touch.”
Like similar monuments in other European cities, the Dutch memorial will list the full names of all 102,000 Jews, Roma and Sinti who were deported from the Netherlands to Nazi concentration and death camps, the committee said.
Among those deported from the Netherlands was Anne Frank, a Jewish teenager who hid in an Amsterdam canal house until being deported with her family.
The monument will cost roughly 5 million euros ($6.9 million), which the committee hopes to pay for with donations from private individuals, corporations, foundations and governments.
I’m personally matching all gifts to the Forward, up to $36,000. Can I match your gift now?
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
