On the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the Cincinnati Museum Center and the Nancy and David Wolf Holocaust and Humanity Center announced a new exhibition, “Auschwitz: Not long ago. Not far away.”
The exhibition will open in the fall, with a waiting list now available for the start of ticket sales on April 2.
“This will be the most comprehensive exhibition ever presented in North America on Auschwitz and its role in the Holocaust, offering our community, our state, [and] our greater Midwest region the opportunity to feel this transformative experience,” said Elizabeth Pierce, president, and CEO of the CMC.
1.1 million people were murdered at Auschwitz; the Soviet army liberated the camp on January 27, 1945.
“The Holocaust is not just a chapter in history – it’s my life. It’s the story of my father who was murdered in Auschwitz, and it’s a story of countless others like him who never had a chance to speak and live their life,” said Henry Fenichel. “For those who survived, the responsibility is to tell the story, and it’s never been more urgent.”
The exhibition will feature more than 500 original objects from the Auschwitz Birkenau State Museum and other international museums. It will be supplemented by the stories of local survivors, some of who passed through Union Terminal as they began their new lives in Cincinnati after the Holocaust.
“My father survived Auschwitz, escaped the death march, and arrived here at Union Terminal with my mother, a baby, and a suitcase ready to start a new chapter of his life,” said Steve Coppell, son of local survivor Werner Coppell. “For my father, Union Terminal was more than just a building. It was a symbol of hope and resilience.”
Numerous city, county, and state representatives also attended the announcement, including State Reps Sedrick Denson, Diane Mullins, Adam Matthews, and Karen Brownlee. Vice Mayor Jan Michele Kearney and City Council members Anna Albi, Seth Walsh, Mark Jeffreys, Meeka Owens, and Commissioner Stephanie Dumas also came.
The CMC and the HHC are working with elected officials to make the exhibition low-cost. Right now, it’s unclear whether that will mean free or just more affordable tickets.
“We all recognize the importance of this moment and the support that we should offer and demonstrate as city, county, state, for something so incredible,” said City Council Member Meeka Owens.
The announcement comes at a time of heightened stress for the Jewish community in the face of skyrocketing antisemitism. A study by the Anti-Defamation League found that nearly half of adults hold antisemitic views or beliefs.
The Pew Research Center found that 63% of Americans did not know that 6 million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust, and 43% could not name a single concentration camp. A quarter of Americans believed the Holocaust was a myth or was exaggerated or were not sure.
“Union Terminal stands as a beacon of hope, a space for civic conversations and a reminder of our collective responsibility to learn from the past and inspire a better future,” said Jackie Congedo, CEO of the Holocaust & Humanity Center.
“This exhibition builds on the powerful legacy of our local Holocaust survivors, whose courage and stories continue to shape our community and guide our mission,” she said
“[Werner Coppel] was the first Holocaust survivor in Cincinnati to speak publicly about his story,” said Steve Coppel. “Driven by his belief in education to combat hatred and injustice, he often told students, ‘You have the power to make a difference and the responsibility to speak up when you see something wrong.’”
Said the CMC’s Pierce: “This exhibition is not just about the past; it is a vital reminder of the lessons history offers us today, in a time of rising hate, antisemitism, and extremism.”
So glad this exhibit will be here in Cincinnati.