My wife and I visited this memorial while we were on holiday in Paris. We are not Jewish but we felt that we should review this disturbing history. There is no admission fee. When
you enter the museum, you will see the Wall of Names of those men, women and children who were deported to the death camps. The history is in French and English. You do not need a guide. We spent about three hours in the museum and I am really happy that we made the effort to visit this memorial.
If you visit Paris but fail to visit Memorial de la Shoah you have missed one of the most important places in the city.
We always stay in Le Marais when we visit Paris and love the friendliness and character of the 4th arrondissement. We have also enjoyed discovering the history of the area but more sadly the atrocities inflicted upon those from the Jewish community.
In this latest visit we stayed and walked in the streets where so many families were forced out of their homes and taken away to die during WWII. So naturally we also spent a day not only tracing the streets but also visiting Memorial de la Shoah.
You will not leave the memorial the same as you entered. There are moments of profound admiration for those listed as the 'righteous' for their heroic actions in protecting their neighbours and friends from the evil nazis to tears of sadness at how beautiful families were ripped apart and sent to die.
There are times when it is overwhelming and you have to stay as long as works for you. We spent a few hours there and shed many many tears. A quiet reflective lunch alongside the Seine so close by was the perfect bookend to this visit.
The Memorial is not very in depth. I thought there would be a lot more. I did find some relatives names on the wall of people sent to the death camps and it made a big impression on me. However, the main exhibit (if not really the only exhibit) was of Klaus Barbie. It was entirely in French - everything written, everything audio. It was obviously very in depth. We did purchase an audio guide and the audio guide skipped it. It was really a let down. It is possible that the exhibit changes and maybe they bring in other exhibits that are in English as well as French - we didn't ask.
In what is now a busy, modern European city, it's easy to forget the pain that Paris, indeed the whole of France, experienced during the 2nd world war. This charming, thoughtful museum brings home exactly what happened - the deportations, the mass murder - that was visited on France in those times.
the multi-lingual team are helpful and friendly, and while this is a museum to the Jewish experience, it is relevant to everyone. this is not just a Jewish experience, but an experience highlighting the consequences of extreme views, no matter who their target.
Once finished here, perhaps take the walk to the Musee D'Orsay, and remind yourself that this was the station from which many of the deportees departed, and to which only a handful ever returned.
Jamais Oubliée
What an amazing museum and memorial. The fact that it's free is crazy. The photos and stories are heart wrenching and poignant but also such a relevant part of Paris' history. I always think that I will be prepared for the emotions that places like this evoke but I never really am. This is a must do.
