LIBERATION & BEYOND
Historians gather personal stories to conclude museum’s WWII narrative
Scheduled for completion in 2021, the Liberation Pavilion will represent the final chapter in The National WWII Museum’s mission to tell the full story of the American experience in the war that changed the world — why it was fought, how it was won and what it means today — so that all generations will understand the price of freedom and be inspired by what they learn. Exploring the immediate postwar years and its continuing relevance in our lives today, the pavilion’s narrative will be told through the overarching theme of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s famous 1941 “Four Freedoms” speech, his address citing the four universal rights that all people worldwide should have: freedom of speech and worship, and freedom from want and fear. Galleries will examine themes ranging from the joy of homecoming to postwar technological advances to the Holocaust.
In order to share with visitors firsthand experiences of liberation during and after the war, the museum’s Oral History team has been gathering interviews to feature in kiosks throughout the pavilion’s galleries — accounts from Holocaust survivors, soldiers who liberated concentration camps, participants in war-crime trials, as well as WWII servicemembers who were involved in the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s.
Hannah Dailey, museum oral historian, is a member of the team gathering these important firsthand accounts. She shared some of her recent experiences in this effort:
What is the most challenging aspect of obtaining an oral history that will tie into the Liberation Pavilion’s postwar theme, especially when starting a search to identify subjects can be so arduous?
There are so many themes to focus on. We look for Holocaust survivors, prisoners of war, refugees, faith-in-wartime stories, cost-of-victory accounts, and then postwar themes such as fighting for freedom for minorities, the advent of nuclear power, the changing role of women in the workforce, and international law.
What would others find most surprising about the process of collecting someone’s oral history?
I think people are surprised by the amount of emotional work that goes into collecting an oral history. It’s understood that a lot of research goes into preparing for each individual oral history, but because of the subject matter that is broached during the interviews, there is also a lot of emotional labor. You have to create an environment where the veteran or survivor feels safe enough to open up as you guide them through unusually difficult memories.
What has been your most memorable moment to date while collecting an oral history for the Liberation Pavilion?
The most memorable moment was discovering that there is a “Schindler Jew” living in the United States. I was thrilled to find out that Rena Finder resided in Massachusetts — still alive and more than willing to sit down with me and talk about her war experience. She was incredibly lovely when we met, very well-spoken, and had such an intense story about her and her mother surviving the Holocaust because they worked for Oskar Schindler. It’s rare to find heartwarming stories about the Holocaust, which is why accounts like Finder’s are so valuable. It shows man’s humanity towards one another through Schindler’s protective efforts for his Jewish workforce, a story familiar to many audiences through the 1993 film “Schindler’s List.”