A couple of families who have only recently joined the Kitchener project have asked what form the exhibition will take, so I’ll do my best to outline things here. If you’ve read previous posts on this (like this one, for example: https://kitchenercamp.co.uk/exhibition-permissions/) there’ll be something else along soon, but I wanted to give new families a chance to catch up with where we’ve got to.
We have commissioned a professional designer who works with museums and institutions – who will draw on some of the materials we have been given permission to use for these purposes by our contributing families.
They will select examples from among our many letters, documents, and photographs to tell the broad history of the Kitchener camp rescue.
Some examples of ‘traveling exhibitions’ were posted up here a little while ago, such as the ones shown in the links below, but I know not everyone will have seen those earlier posts.
https://www.wienerlibrary.co.uk/Travelling-Exhibitions
The aim is to tell the wider history of the rescue – rather than individual histories, as the website does – although people who see the exhibition will hopefully come to the website for more information about the individuals involved – our fathers and grandfathers.
https://www.worldjewishrelief.org/news/777-responding-to-the-present-by-remembering-the-past
This is a ‘traveling exhibition’ being created among families on a small budget – so please don’t expect to see a stand that focuses on ‘your father’s history’ specifically. There are well over 300 pages on the website, covering many, many Kitchener men. Even USHMM couldn’t mount an exhibition of that scope – and we are obviously not in the same league (or budget) as USHMM…
A key part of the opening event day on 1st September is as much the opportunity to gather together and to participate in talks and workshops as it is about the exhibition itself.
………………
The history of this remarkable rescue, which was organised and funded by remarkable and generous people, is now being told in more places and to more people.
Together, we have achieved something extraordinary with this project, in a very short period of time. And of course, it continues to grow.
The Kitchener history is becoming better known and better understood – among educators, researchers, and most importantly, among families. And our ‘small but perfectly formed’ (!) traveling exhibition will be one part of this process.
Our 300 pages of collective, collaborative research on this website form the main historical material – and this will remain the case wherever the exhibition may travel and whoever may see it. In addition – literally week by week, at a rate that I sometimes struggle to keep up with – the historical information collected here is increasing. There has probably never been anything quite like this before.
We’ve achieved something amazing here among us – and I hope those who can make it to see the exhibition on its opening day will enjoy the event, the company, and the experience of being part of this incredible experience of ‘making history’ together.