Die Dritte Generation. Der Holocaust im familiären Gedächtnis

How do we remember when there are hardly any witnesses left who directly experienced the Holocaust? This question is addressed by the exhibition "The Third Generation: The Holocaust in Family Memory". Survivors of the Holocaust have passed on their stories and traumas to their children and grandchildren. While the second generation grew up with the psychological and physical scars of their parents, the third generation views their family history from a greater temporal distance, where memory and silence, family myths and secrets, overwhelming or missing family legacies are ever-present.

The exhibition explores various strategies for coping with and engaging with the legacy of the Holocaust. It also closely examines the struggle for societal recognition of the Holocaust among Sinti and Roma. Through artistic works, it narrates stories of archiving and the desire to no longer remain silent, of appropriation and differentiation, of conscious remembering and the desire to forget, of the omnipresence of the Holocaust, the significant gaps in family histories, and the attempts to fill these gaps.

Initially realized at the Jewish Museum Vienna, this exhibition is now being adapted and expanded for its second stop at the Jewish Museum Munich. A local perspective has been further developed, showcasing how deeply the Holocaust continues to impact the lives of Munich artists today. The theme of provenance, restitution, and the handling of the fragmented legacies of certain objects in our collection, as well as the management of this familial heritage, is highlighted through several works in the Munich exhibition. Public tours take place every Saturday and Sunday at 13:30.