Volume 3 • Number 2
Spring, 2016
Museum Awarded
Major Grant from State
of Massachusetts
NEW ACQUISITION
ANNE FRANK’S COPY
OF GRIMM’S FAIRY TALES, SIGNED BY HER
Anne Frank’s Signatures Are Rare
This evocative piece, a 1925 German edition of Grimm’s Fairy Tales (Aus
Grimms Märchen), signed on the title page by Anne Frank, was acquired by
the Museum at an auction in New York City in May. Anne signs her name and
her sister’s name, “Anne Frank en Margo Frank,” in the upper right portion.
The book is accompanied by a 1977
letter written by her father, Otto Frank,
explaining that the book had been left
behind in the family’s apartment in Amsterdam, before they went into hiding in
the secret annex.
Kenneth W. Rendell, the Museum’s
Founder and Executive Director, said
that genuine signatures of Anne Frank
are extremely rare. This is only the third
time that something signed by Anne
Frank has been sold.
“Anne Frank is a human symbol of
the Holocaust,” says Rendell.“Her diary is read by students everywhere in
the world. Seeing this book, which belonged to her, with her handwriting on
the title page, is as direct a personal
connection as we can have with her.
It is a dramatic reminder that Anne
Frank was only 16 years old when she
died in a concentration camp.”
Although the Museum has one of the
most comprehensive and important
collections of Holocaust artifacts, including letters by Anne Frank’s father
about getting her diary published, her
grandmother about how she died, and
continued inside
$300,000 Capital Grant
from Massachusetts
Cultural Facilities Fund
We are pleased and proud to announce that
this significant, highly sought after and thoroughly vetted capital grant was awarded to
the Museum of World War II by the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund. The
announcement on May 12th revealed that
this was the maximum amount awarded to
a cultural institution this year. Only eight
others received grants on this level, including Boston Symphony/Tanglewood and the
Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge.
This capital grant requires a dollar-for-dollar
match which we will be seeking from friends
and supporters of the Museum. Together, the
grant and matching gifts, will be used for
the second phase of the Museum’s planned
expansion from a 10,000 sq.ft. facility to a
65,000 sq.ft. facility. The first successfully
completed phase of the expansion resulted
in the 2015 purchase of the land adjacent to
the Museum ensuring that the Museum will
expand without relocating.
Why the expansion? Quite simply, the Museum has inadequate space for the extraordinary collection, all the visitors who want
to come and our thriving education programs. The new Museum will feature triple the exhibition space, double the space
for research Archives, the Shipley Education Center, a special exhibitions gallery,
a multi-purpose room for lectures, movies and conferences, and a conservation
laboratory. Conservative estimates place
annual visitors over 100,000 in the new
building, and student visitors over 12,000.
A leader of deliberate conduct, Winston Churchill would attach a bright red sticker emblazoned with the words: “Action
This Day” to his memos to prioritize and make clear to his subordinates that he expected specific action that day.
FALL PREVIEW AT THE MUSEUM OF WORLD WAR II
75th Anniversary of
PEARL HARBOR
This December 7th marks
the 75th anniversary of
Pearl Harbor – the day
the United States entered World War II and
the day Churchill said
he knew Germany and
Japan would be defeated. The attack on Pearl
Harbor also set in motion the biggest mistake
of World War II – Adolf Hitler declared war on the United States on December 11th.
After Labor Day, we will open
our special, major exhibition
reflecting on Pearl Harbor,
75 years later. It begins with
Japan’s imperial expansion
into China and Asia which
led to America’s oil embargo.
Roosevelt offered to end the
embargo if Japan changed its
policies; their answer came on
December 7th.
The day before was another
day in paradise for sailors stationed at Pearl Harbor. The
Honolulu newspaper’s front
page on December 7th, 1941
carried news of the war in Europe and tensions in Asia. In
the exhibition this is seen next
to a special edition, hours later,
proclaiming WAR. Between
these two editions, 350 Japanese planes, thought by American radar to be a flight of B-17
American bombers earlier than
expected, bombed American
war ships at anchorage. The
same radar set as used on Oahu
will be on display, along with
the first message from Pearl
Harbor: “AIR RAID PEARL
HARBOR – THIS IS NO
DRILL,” original news photos,
eye witness accounts, the huge
binoculars from the bridge of
the Arizona, first news flashes
and desperate messages.
The first printed declaration of war by Japan is
followed in the exhibition by
a Tokyo newspaper devoted
to the surprising news, along
with Japanese photos taken
during the attack. There are
celebratory Japanese posters
and propaganda.
California newspapers reflect in their headlines the
fear that overwhelmed the
United States. It was assumed that Hawaii
would be invaded and photographs show
California cities being bombed (actually
shelled by Japanese submarines).
Posters from 1942 order Americans of German, Italian and Japanese ancestry to report to the authorities. Later only JapaneseAmericans were sent to internment camps
in large numbers. Artifacts from these
camps are on display.
“Remember Pearl Harbor” became the instant rallying cry in the country.
The Secret War
National Geographic Society’s The Secret War, a large
format, richly illustrated account of the covert operations of World War II, written by Neil Kagan
and Stephen Hyslop, with a Foreward by Kenneth
Rendell, will be released on October 25th and is already available for pre-order on Amazon.com. Virtually all of the photographs are of artifacts in the
Museum’s collection.
The Secret War goes behind the battle lines and
deep into the undercover war effort that changed
the course of history. It takes the reader inside the
secret lives of spies and spy masters; secret agents
and secret armies; Enigma machines and code
breakers; psychological warfare and black propaganda; secret weapons and secret battle strategies.
others surrounding her, until now, there was nothing of Anne Frank herself.
come so near to a book that was Anne’s very own.
That closeness with history reminds us today, that
Anne was real, she had a childhood, and she knew
the stories, the fairy tales, we ourselves know.”
Founding Education Director Marshall Carter says,
“This poignant reminder of Anne Frank will profoundly move students. So many young people who
visit the Museum read her diary, and now they can
Anne Frank’s diary is on permanent display
at the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. Only
three other museums have examples of her
handwriting.
Anne Frank, continued from page 1
Anne Frank’s copy
Exhibition on Anti-Semitism
Opens at New-York Historical Society
“The Power of Anti-Semitism; The March to the Holocaust, 1919-1939”
The Exhibition Is Based Entirely on Pieces from the Museum of World War II, Boston
On April 12th, “The Power of Anti-Semitism; The March to the Holocaust, 19191939” opened at the New-York Historical
Society. Kenneth W. Rendell, Founder and
Executive Director of the Museum of World
War II, Boston spoke to members of the
Chairman’s Council during the New-York
Historical Society’s Weekend with History,
and again to donors who supported the preparation and installation of the exhibition.
The exhibition will run until July 31st. A
catalogue of the exhibition is available
through Amazon.com. There has been extensive media coverage of the exhibition;
Ed Rothstein’s thought-provoking review
for the Wall Street Journal is on the overleaf of this newsletter.
This is an important exhibition. It explores
the question: How did Hitler and the Nazi
Party persuade the majority of Germans
that Jewish people must be excluded from
society, eventually to the point of mass
murder? In the wake of recent events targeting Jewish communities in Europe and
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT TO RIGHT:
Renata Propper and Henry Arnhold; Ken Rendell thanking supporters of the exhibition; Sally
and Jim Joslin and Lawrence Smith Huntington; Ellen Michelson; Bill Carey, Scott Litner
and Dana Carey.
elsewhere, the exhibition is relevant to
today. The many New York City public
school students who study history with the
New-York Historical Society will learn of
the dangers of ignoring or discounting antiSemitic hatred, as well as of underestimating the role of propaganda in denying racial and religious groups their right to live
without fear or threat of violence.
Many New York and Boston friends of the
Museum of World War II attended the opening reception.
‘ANTI-SEMITISM 1919-1939’ AND ‘STOLEN HEART: THE THEFT OF JEWISH
PROPERTY IN BERLIN’S HISTORIC CITY CENTER, 1933-1945’ REVIEWS
NEW YORK: The 1000-Reichsmark bills on display
at the New-York Historical Society’s “Anti-Semitism
1919-1939” exhibition seem almost unused, fresh from
the 1922 German mint, probably because rampant inflation quickly made them worthless. That also made them
ripe for resurrection by the Nazis 10 years later, when
they were overprinted with campaign slogans, swastikas
and caricatures. Stamped over one bill’s original engraving, Gothic German text proclaims: “The Jew takes our
Gold, Silver and Bacon [Speck], and leaves us with this
crap [Dreck].” The Dreck—Weimar’s worthless currency—is evidence of the Jews’ nefarious powers. “Come
to Hitler,” the recycled banknotes urge.
Though no attempt is made to generalize or analogize,
Mr. Rendell noted in a conversation how many times,
in his recent public presentations, visitors immediately
drew analogies between early Nazi rallies and recent
rallies of a particular presidential candidate. The exhibition might then be seen as a map of how varieties of
contemporary racism or injustice move from a society’s
margins to its heart.
But I have the opposite reaction. Nazi analogies are too
regularly invoked to simplify argument; and anti-Semitism is too often generalized, treated as another variety of
racism. Instead, I am struck by how singular anti-Semitism is, how cunning the Nazi use of it was, and how different it is from racism, with which it is often confused.
As a result of taxes, violence, threats, and legislation, the
families were financially ruined and forced to flee. The
buildings were taken over. Not only did this break Jewish control; the government also obliterated any sign of
it. The textile building was used to manufacture almost a
million yellow Star of David patches; the Herrmann Gerson store property was used to house the SS’s criminal
police and as a laboratory to perfect mass killing methods. (Incidentally, very few heirs to the 225 properties
have received recompense according to a postwar policy
that was, ironically enough, called Wiedergutmachung.)
Another form of
currency is also
displayed at this
compact but powerful exhibition of
more than 50 German artifacts: a
five-Reichsmark
“currency conversion note” issued
between 1933 and
1935. Soon after
Adolf Hitler took
power, Jews were dismissed from the civil service, Jewish businesses were boycotted and other restrictions
were imposed: As the exhibition’s catalog tells us, the
Nazis saw this as Wiedergutmachung—making good
again—reparations for Judaic evils done to Germany.
Jews emigrating surrendered German currency in exchange for these notes, supposedly good for later conversion into foreign currencies. Only they weren’t. Thus,
the Jew who made currency worthless got worthless
currency in return. Such was Nazi Wiedergutmachung.
But what do these unusual bills demonstrate about the
nature of Nazi anti-Semitism? Is there any connection
between the objects in this exhibition and contemporary
Jew hatred, which is gaining respectability? This is not a
simple matter, because the exhibition is so specific to its
time and place. That is how it first must be understood.
These artifacts were all acquired by Kenneth W. Rendell
for the Museum of World War II he has established in
Boston, which is planning an expansive new building.
They trace, as the exhibition puts it, the “incremental
stages by which anti-Semitism moved from ideology to
state policy and finally, to war.”
So the exhibition’s first item is a broadside announcing the signing of the Versailles treaty on June 28,
1919—a poster on which the young Hitler wrote a
comment that the treaty was a surrender to “the Jewish dictate”; Jews, he declared, must “leave Germany.” Then we see 1920s broadsides for Nazi rallies, a children’s book by a 21-year-old kindergarten
teacher warning about Jews, and the 1935 Nuremberg laws codifying anti-Semitism. The last artifacts
are six handwritten pages: Hitler’s notes for his 1939
Reichstag speech in which he foretold “the annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe.”
venal motivations. But seizure also had symbolic importance; it defeated the Jew on his own terrain. You can see
an aspect of this at an exhibition at the Leo Baeck Institute at the Center for Jewish History : “Stolen Heart: The
Theft of Jewish Property in Berlin’s Historic City Center, 1933-1945.” Before 1933, at least 225 properties out
of 1,200 lots in Berlin’s historic center were owned by
Jews and Jewish businesses. This exhibit—an abridgement of one mounted in Berlin—looks at five properties and the fates of the families who owned them. They
include the headquarters of one company (owned by the
Intrator and Berglas families) that in the early 1930s produced about half of all German-made textiles. Another
was the Herrmann Gerson store, “the oldest, largest, and
most prominent fashion store in Germany” (owned by
the Freudenberg family).
These beliefs might seem beyond contemporary imagining. Yet today similar assertions have attached themselves to Israel—a Jew among nations. Arab media
regularly invoke Nazi caricatures and references. Recently. the former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone
also suggested that Zionism and Nazism shared support
from Hitler—adding to a string of comments by Labour
leaders caricaturing Israel as uniquely satanic.
Of course, the Nazis calculatedly turned Judaism into
a racial matter. The Nuremberg Laws led to genealogical charts, like one here, on which Germans traced their
bloodlines to guarantee freedom from Jewish taint. Nazi
policy also separated Jews from others, using Jim Crowlike German signs on display. And caricature proliferated, as we can see in issues of Julius Streicher’s notorious newspaper Der Stürmer (“The Jewish beast. Do
you know him?”) or in a 1930 cane-handle shaped like
a Jew’s head.
‘But if race can be an element of anti-Semitism, it is not
the main point. For the Nazis it was an indicator of connection and collusion. Is there any other form of group
hatred so preoccupied with conspiracy? The Jew, in this
view, has hidden powers. The Jew is capable of imposing the Versailles treaty, devaluing currency and manipulating commerce. In medieval folklore, the Jew is close
to being a vampire, prepared to feed on the circulatory
system of the body politic. And what is that circulatory
system? Money. That is also where the Nazis focused—
before turning more horrific attention to blood.
The Nazi seizure of currency and property had typically
But there is no need to look so far afield. At Oberlin College, a Facebook post by an assistant professor of rhetoric and composition showed a member of the Rothschild
banking family with an invented quote about his people:
“We own nearly every central bank in the world. We financed both sides of every war since Napoleon. We own
your news, the media, your oil and your government.”
The professor also accused “Rothschild-led banksters”
of “implementing the World War III option” by shooting down a Malaysian airliner over Ukraine; and she
attacked Jews and the Mossad for funding ISIS. Such
accusations are taken from Der Stürmer’s play book
(the Nazi’s used Kristallnacht as an occasion to apply an
“Atonement Tax,” as one document at the historical society shows, forcing Jews to pay for damage caused by
inspiring anti-Semitic attacks). The Oberlin professor,
unrepentant, has treated accusations of anti-Semitism as
attempts to silence her by the very conspiracy she was
drawing attention to.
Clearly, the virus thrives. No exaggerated Nazi analogies
are needed to reveal the similarities. The very language
repeats itself. The examples also demonstrate the pride
typically taken in anti-Semitic views: Unmasking the
conspiracy requires intelligence and cunning equal to that
of the perpetrators. Anti-Semites typically see their beliefs as virtuous—not offensive, but defensive. And if the
Jew suffers as a result, well such is Wiedergutmachung.
SPECIAL EXHIBITION
THE
REALITY OF THE RESISTANCE
Inspired by All the Light We Cannot See
Manny Abrahams, wearing his Legion of Honor, speaking with a guest;
the newly installed exhibition; Lucile and Bill Hicks speaking with Ken Rendell.
The spirit of resistance to tyranny is ingrained in many people, but active resistance to occupying forces, whether German, Soviet or Japanese, was dangerous.
Their reactions were swift and merciless.
one of the largest in the world. The human
stories are woven throughout the exhibition which is organized thematically and
geographically. More than 200 pieces are
on display.
This exhibition explores the many forms
resistance took, from owning a radio, printing newsletters and carrying messages, to
sabotage and assassination. It features the
Museum’s extensive collection of resistance and intelligence artifacts, which is
The popularity of Anthony Doerr’s Pulitzer
Prize-winning All the Light We Cannot See
attests to the fascination we have with the
lives of those who resisted their occupiers.
This exhibition focuses on resistance in
France as well as in many other countries
which were occupied by enemy forces.
At a dinner to mark the opening of the exhibition, the Consul General of France in
Boston, Valéry Freland, presented Emanuel
“Manny” Abrams with a Legion of Honor
Medal. Manny Abrams, who has been a volunteer at the Museum for several years, was
the navigator of a B-24 Liberator Bomber.
Only 19 years old, he was promoted to the
lead plane, completing 30 missions during a
6 month period in 1944.
“The World War II Field Hospital from Today’s Perspective”
Former Navy Seal Paul Holzer spoke about the Museum’s recently acquired Mobile Army Surgical Hospital
Paul Holzer, a Navy SEAL officer for 10
years, witnessed the horrific effects of severe
burns and other combat injuries which fostered his interest in improving the availability of effective, life-saving medical devices,
which he has pursued through his master’s
training at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, as a research fellow at the Massachusetts General Hospital, as the founder
and CEO/President of Xeno Therapeutics,
a medical device company based in Massachusetts that provides skin tissue for severe
burn victims, and most recently as a medical student at Dartmouth Medical School.
Paul Holzer speaking with guests and Trustees at the
Mobile Army Surgical Hospital.
CONTACT
Paul Holzer speaking on the development
of the field hospital and its significance in
saving soldiers’ lives.
MUSEUM OF WORLD WAR II • 46 Eliot Street, So. Natick, MA 01760
508- 653- 1944 • E-MAIL: sfarring t on@m useum ofworldwarii.org
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE: THE
TELEPHO NE:
A friend of the Museum, he spoke
to a group of medical professionals
about the development of mobile
surgical units such as the ones first
created at the end of World War II
(later made famous as M.A.S.H.
units during the Korean War). This
one, newly acquired by the Museum, is the most comprehensive
and complete World War II era unit
known to exist. It is presently set up
in the building next to the Museum
and will be on display to the public after the Museum’s expansion.
EDUCATION
THE COLLECTION AND ITS IMPACT
Using World War II Artifacts for an Education Unique to the Museum
TEACHING HISTORICAL EMPATHY
will offer its first professional development program for teachers this summer, with graduate credit
available. Guest lecturers
will be Dr. Nina Tumarkin
from Wellesley College, a
specialist in Russia’s role
in the war, and Holocaust
expert Gila Safran Naveh of
the University of Cincinatti.
The focus of the program is
using original materials in
the teaching of history, and
supporting teachers as they
School visits – Since last
develop curricula tied to
fall nearly 2,000 middle
future Museum experiences
and high school students World War II B-17 pilot Richard Dinning speaks to students from the Rashi School, for their students.
have visited the Museum. Dedham, MA. He holds a silk map of Europe, similar to one he carried, in the event
Developing curriculum –
This includes more than his aircraft went down over occupied Europe.
Thanks to a “$100K for 100”
500 students from urban
grant from Cummings Foundadistricts, including the Boston
A Teacher from Somerville, MA High School
tion, we have tailored the curricuPublic Schools, Somerville High
after a Visit to the Museum.
lum for school visits to the indiSchool, Brookline schools, and
vidualized needs of students and
Cambridge Rindge and Latin.
“More than any other experience they’ve had in school, the
teachers. Ultimately we will be
Hundreds more students have
Museum gave our students a sense of ‘historical empathy’.
able to offer an array of choices,
visited from their suburban and
They were able to experience and understand what others
which can be further customized.
semi-rural districts, including
went through, and gain a sense of compassion for people who
On our new website, in the EduAshland, Braintree, Concord-Carexperienced World War II. And, I think that translates into how
cators section, we will offer more
lisle, Hull, Leominster, Lincolnthey can express empathy towards others today.”
on-line details.
Sudbury, Marlborough, Natick,
Shrewsbury, Stoughton, Wayland,
Museum, inspired by Founder Kenneth W.
Facing History and Ourselves –
Weston and Wilmington.
Rendell, who grew up in Somerville, is to Our Director of Education, Marshall Carter,
Teacher previews and training – This aca- reach out to underserved students in urban who has taught Facing History’s Holocaust
demic year, more than 250 educators have schools. Thanks to the generosity of a donor, and Human Behavior curriculum, welcomes
visited the Museum to preview the exhibi- we have been able to underwrite their bus opportunities to work with classes who are ustions, educational programs, and partner- trips and to offset their admissions. Among ing it and tailors their visits accordingly. This
ship opportunities. These include classroom the Boston schools were the Josiah Quincy Spring, in conjunction with the Museum’s
teachers, department chairs, principals and Upper School, the Lyndon Pilot, the Hender- exhibition, “The Power of Anti-Semitism;
superintendents. Districts include Arlington, son Inclusion, and Boston Latin Academy. The March to the Holocaust, 1919-1939,”
Boston, Brookline, Concord-Carlisle, Dud- We are looking forward to developing more Marshall joined in the Facing History seminar for teachers at the New-York Historical
ley-Charlton, Framingham, Lincoln, Sud- in-depth partnerships with these schools.
Society. We are exploring more formal conbury, Marlborough, Natick, Newton, SomerSummer program – Thanks to a grant from nections with this prestigious organization.
ville, Stoughton and Wayland.
the MetroWest Foundation, and in partnerUrban Schools Initiative – A tenet of the ship with EDCO Collaborative, the Museum The future -- We have only just begun!
The breadth and depth of
the collection informs our
educational programs. The
presence of such an array
of artifacts and documents
encourages students to think
critically about World War
II and the human dimension of war. Such immersion is not something they
can get in the classroom. As
this school year comes to an
end, we are tallying up our
accomplishments.
CONTACT
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