rev:text
| - Confession time. I had a huuuuuge crush on one of my university lecturers.
I was in my final year at Salford University and he-who-cannot-be-named (let's just call him Izzard, due to his resemblance to cross-dressing comedian Eddie Izzard, except this Izzard didn't wear heels, he was Izzard in masculine mode. You know what I mean) was teaching a course on Representing the Holocaust.
Ahh, humanities degrees. Where else can you willingly apply to strike severe depression into your heart for an entire semester. It was, however, a revelatory and I think necessary module, as I learned far more than I ever thought possible. (I learned that contemporary military history students take themselves far too seriously, but that's not relevant.)
So, one particular part of the module involved visiting the Holocaust memorial at the Imperial War Museum on a field trip with Izzard himself. The museum is fantastic, so much so that I've since dragged several people there. The place is an architect's dream, jagged and bold, jutting out of the landscape like an unashamed sore thumb. At the very peak of the building's height is a lift you can go up, which is an experience I thoroughly enjoyed but I'd advise against those with vertigo giving it a try.
The exhibits are excellent. My heart broke when I saw concentration camp memorabilia behind a glass case, including the very same uniform and wooden shoes Primo Levi was describing in the memoir we'd read prior. I have to admit, reading his account beforehand made the haunting little outfit in front of me far more poignant, but the paraphernalia the War Museum surrounds it with makes it highly emotional anyway - letters to loved ones, relatives, bits and pieces that were confiscated, ID cards and the like. It's visually impacting, that's for sure.
The museum has an excellent cafe upstairs as well as an extensive gift and souvenir shop. I'd urge anyone who has the remotest interest in contemporary history or politics to go. It may not be the happiest of days out, but you'll learn about important historical events and come away with a feeling of knowledge and worthiness.
|