Simi Valley, CA – After unprecedented demand, Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. has been extended at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library through January 28, 2024, remaining open through Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The Auschwitz exhibition, which premiered on March 24, 2023, and was originally scheduled to close on August 13, has been one of the most visited in the Reagan Library’s + 30 years of history.
“Thirty-five years ago, President Ronald Reagan spoke at the site of the future Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., emphasizing the importance of remembering the millions of lives lost in the Holocaust,” said David Trulio, President and CEO of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. “Today, we’re following his call. As visitors educate themselves about one of the most sinister times in human history, we have seen people from around the globe touched, many moved to tears, by the powerful stories the exhibition tells. Sadly, with antisemitism on the rise and acts of genocide still a reality in the world today, the exhibition’s name – Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. – could not be more appropriate. It is more important than ever that people learn from the exhibit and never forget the suffering people endured so that we can ensure history never repeats itself.”
To date, the Reagan Library has received visitors from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and internationally, as well as to more than 170 school groups representing nearly 10,000 students – many of whom were awarded financial grants to cover travel and ticket expenses to visit the exhibition.
Around 10.000 students from all 50 states have been able to visit the exhibition.
“The visit to the Auschwitz exhibit was a compelling and moving experience for our students,” said Thomas S. Frank, a Thousand Oaks, California middle school principal. “Through this exhibition, they [students] were able to confront the realities of the Holocaust, learn from history, and become advocates for tolerance, inclusivity, and understanding.”
Visitors of the Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. exhibit are able to view more than 700 artifacts, photographs, personal stories, and other information on display. Among the artifacts are hundreds of personal items that belonged to Auschwitz victims, including eyeglasses, suitcases, and shoes, as well as a gas mask used by the SS and an original Model 2 freight train car used to deport Jews to ghettos and extermination camps in Poland during the war. These objects serve as the guiding thread of a rigorous and moving account of the history of the German Nazi camp Auschwitz and its inhabitants, both victims, and perpetrators.
Luis Ferreiro, Director of Musealia, revealed that the exhibition will be shown in other cities afterward: “Madrid, New York, Kansas City… We are glad the exhibition has been able to travel to so many cities around the world. Not many people are able to visit the camp in Poland – yet it is still important the lessons we learn from Auschwitz and the Holocaust reach every corner, especially for the new generations. This is why the exhibition will keep touring after closing in Los Angeles in January 2024.”
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