Byli sąsiadami: Human Choices and Behaviors During the Holocaust Exhibition

This outdoor exhibition, prepared by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and presented in collaboration with the History Meeting House, explores the diverse human choices and behaviors during the Holocaust. It examines why individuals acted as they did, ranging from acts of resistance and solidarity to complicity and collaboration with perpetrators.

The outdoor exhibition "Byli sąsiadami: ludzkie wybory i zachowania w obliczu Zagłady" (Some Were Neighbors: Human Choices and Behavior in the Face of Annihilation), prepared by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, is presented in Warsaw in collaboration with the History Meeting House. This mobile version of the American exhibition delves into the complex question of how the Holocaust was possible, beyond the role of Adolf Hitler and Nazi leaders, by focusing on the involvement of many other individuals. It analyzes the varied reactions of ordinary people to the persecution of Jews, exploring motivations for acceptance, enthusiastic collaboration, and the rarity of assistance to victims. The exhibition prompts visitors to consider how people responded to the plight of their Jewish schoolmates, colleagues, neighbors, and friends, and what factors influenced their actions during the Holocaust. The exhibition is a mobile version of the original "Some Were Neighbors" exhibition created for the 20th anniversary of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2013. This international version has been translated into 10 languages and displayed in 21 countries, including Germany since 2019 and at the United Nations in 2020. In Poland, it was first opened in January 2022 at the Ulma Family Museum of Poles Saving Jews During World War II. The exhibition was shown on the square at the intersection of Krakowskie Przedmieście and Karowa Street from April 19 to May 10, 2022. Educational workshops for primary and secondary schools are also associated with this exhibition.

The exhibition is presented outdoors and is accompanied by educational workshops for primary and secondary schools. Specific ticketing or admission information for the exhibition itself is not provided, implying it may be freely accessible as an outdoor display. Visitors are directed to educational workshop details separately.