OFIARY CZY BOHATEROWIE? DZIECI W NARRACJI WYSTAWY O HOLOKAUŚCIE W MUZEUM ŻYDOWSKIM W WILNIE
VICTIMS OR HEROES? CHILDREN IN THE NARRATIVE OF THE HOLOCAUST EXHIBITION AT THE JEWISH MUSEUM IN VILNIUS

Summary/Abstract: The author analyses the permanent exhibition devoted to the Holocaust at the Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum (Vilniaus Gaono žydų Istorijos muziejus). He strives to determine the place of the youngest victims of the Holocaust in the narrative of the exhibition. Are there separate parts of the permanent exhibition devoted to them, or does the fate of the children tend to be “inscribed” in the overall message about the events documented? Has the museum focused on the tragic dimension of the children’s lives, or has it presented them through the lens of heroic deeds, showing the individuals behind them? Ergo—is the death of the victims or the death of the heroes at the centre of the message? And finally— is there space here for presenting the Survivors? The research, the findings of which are presented in the paper, also aims to ascertain whether the narrative at the museum focuses on specific individuals or on the community of anonymous participants in wartime events. Another central point of interest is whether the museum’s message focuses solely on presenting the facts, or goes further—also embracing room for promoting specific values. In other words: is there also space here for axiological elements in addition to the cognitive sphere? Is the goal just education focused on passing on reliable knowledge, or is it rather a process of socio-political education, the aim of which is to create specific moral attitudes?

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