Simon Wiesenthal Center
The Simon Wiesenthal Center is an organization founded by Holocaust survivor Simon Wiesenthal, dedicated to preserving the memory of the Holocaust through educational initiatives and advocacy. The center aims to ensure that the atrocities committed during World War II are remembered to prevent such events from occurring in the future. It offers various educational outreach programs, conducts research, and compiles historical accounts related to the Holocaust. Additionally, the center publishes magazines and newsletters to disseminate knowledge about this significant period in history. In 1993, it opened the Beit Hashoah-Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, which features interactive exhibits addressing the Holocaust and broader issues of racism and prejudice in society. The Simon Wiesenthal Center also actively works against Holocaust denial and other supremacist ideologies, highlighting its commitment to combating hatred and promoting tolerance. Overall, the center serves as a vital resource for education and remembrance, fostering a deeper understanding of the Holocaust and its implications for contemporary society.
Subject Terms
Simon Wiesenthal Center
Founded: 1974
Type of organization: Center dedicated to preserving memories of the Holocaust
Significance: This international body is dedicated to defending human rights and Jewish people in particular with the goal that another Holocaust will never be able to happen
Founded by Holocaust survivor Simon Wiesenthal, this center is dedicated to the preservation of the memory of the Holocaust through education and awareness. Its supporters believe that if recollections of the atrocities committed by Germany during World War II are kept alive through knowledge and imagination such atrocities are not likely to be repeated. To this end the center organizes educational outreach programs, researches and compiles histories of the Holocaust, and publishes magazines and newsletters on the subject.
In 1993 the center opened the Beit Hashoah-Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. This institution focuses on the Nazi Holocaust and offers interactive exhibits about racism and prejudice in America. The center has been involved in actively opposing groups that openly deny the Holocaust and many other supremacist organizations.