Human Rights Memorial
"How lovely to think that no one need wait a moment, we can start now, start slowly changing the world!"
- Anne Frank, March 26, 1944
The Anne Frank Human's Rights Memorial is in Boise, ID downtown. It was created after a traveling Anne Frank exhibit came to Boise. This exhibit alone brought tens of thousands of people from all over Idaho and local areas to see it. The overwhelming attraction to this exhibit sparked the idea of creating the Human Rights Memorial. Community leaders, human rights activists and citizens from all over Idaho came together to make this happen.
The memorial has a life size bronze statue of Anne Frank, and over 60 quotes from world humanitarian leaders. This is the only museum that includes a declaration of human rights from all around the world.
The memorial was not created to dwell on the holocaust. In fact, if you go into the museum you will see that there is minimal quotes and ideas from this tragic time. Instead, the exhibit is created to cause discussion, and actively think about different issues. The quotes are to spark the idea of a single person and their ability to triumph over a difficult situation.
Kurt Karst, an Idaho Falls architect, designed the Memorial to integrate the beauty of natural elements-like water, stone, and native plants-with the message of hope in humanity.
Greg Stone, an artist from Northampton, Massachusetts, won a national competition to create the life-sized statue of Anne Frank. Idaho school children raised the funds to build the bronze-cast sculpture.
Personal experience:
When I walked into the museum I had expected to see a lot to do with the holocaust. I am not sure if there is a particular beginning of the path to be taken but I began in a random fashion at a spot in the corner. I read one of the quotes and was a bit confused at first. What does this have to do with the holocaust? Well after reading a few different quotes I realized that the quotes were from different people and they were from all around the world.
I found the quotes to be very inspiring. I saw a bench behind me and actually sat down and read some of the quotes several times to understand the meaning behind them. No one told me that I had to do this, the meaning behind the quotes were so powerful and intriguing that I could not help myself. It is interesting to know that the things that these people said were during things that they went through. All of these things were difficult and not their fault. It was amazing to see the overall positivity that all of these "quotes" possessed. I discussed these different quotes with another girl and then later another group of students near by. I believe that most people had the same reaction that I did.
It is interesting how the memorial is shaped. It causes you to follow a path of reading. However it does not push you to do it fast. The ability to sit down and reflect is apparent. Also, if you like there are little hand crank operated things that narrate the story for you as well. The entire memorial is very interactive.
If I were to describe this memorial to someone that has never seen it I would tell them it is essentially a path you take with different quotes to read along the way that are of inspiration. They are quotes from people around the world with crazy struggles that they are over coming. The memorial is crafted out of rocks and cement and is very beautiful. It is like a "maze of wisdom."
The memorial has a life size bronze statue of Anne Frank, and over 60 quotes from world humanitarian leaders. This is the only museum that includes a declaration of human rights from all around the world.
The memorial was not created to dwell on the holocaust. In fact, if you go into the museum you will see that there is minimal quotes and ideas from this tragic time. Instead, the exhibit is created to cause discussion, and actively think about different issues. The quotes are to spark the idea of a single person and their ability to triumph over a difficult situation.
Kurt Karst, an Idaho Falls architect, designed the Memorial to integrate the beauty of natural elements-like water, stone, and native plants-with the message of hope in humanity.
Greg Stone, an artist from Northampton, Massachusetts, won a national competition to create the life-sized statue of Anne Frank. Idaho school children raised the funds to build the bronze-cast sculpture.
Personal experience:
When I walked into the museum I had expected to see a lot to do with the holocaust. I am not sure if there is a particular beginning of the path to be taken but I began in a random fashion at a spot in the corner. I read one of the quotes and was a bit confused at first. What does this have to do with the holocaust? Well after reading a few different quotes I realized that the quotes were from different people and they were from all around the world.
I found the quotes to be very inspiring. I saw a bench behind me and actually sat down and read some of the quotes several times to understand the meaning behind them. No one told me that I had to do this, the meaning behind the quotes were so powerful and intriguing that I could not help myself. It is interesting to know that the things that these people said were during things that they went through. All of these things were difficult and not their fault. It was amazing to see the overall positivity that all of these "quotes" possessed. I discussed these different quotes with another girl and then later another group of students near by. I believe that most people had the same reaction that I did.
It is interesting how the memorial is shaped. It causes you to follow a path of reading. However it does not push you to do it fast. The ability to sit down and reflect is apparent. Also, if you like there are little hand crank operated things that narrate the story for you as well. The entire memorial is very interactive.
If I were to describe this memorial to someone that has never seen it I would tell them it is essentially a path you take with different quotes to read along the way that are of inspiration. They are quotes from people around the world with crazy struggles that they are over coming. The memorial is crafted out of rocks and cement and is very beautiful. It is like a "maze of wisdom."
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