Milestones

1958

First permanent exhibit opened in administration building

1959

First art exhibit opened

1965

Museum building opened

1982

Art Museum dedicated

Yad Vashem Museums

The first permanent exhibit opened in the administration building in 1958. Additional photos, documents and artwork were added over the years. In 1965 a permanent exhibit was established in the new museum building. In 1973, the permanent exhibit which stands until today was opened - the first of its kind in the world. In 1982 the Museum of Holocaust Art was established at Yad Vashem. The Museum of Holocaust Art has amassed over the years the most important collection in the world of original artwork from the Holocaust period. This collection, which includes about 8,000 pieces, is an important national property that serves as a living testimonial to the triumph of the human spirit.

The new Museum Complex, due to open on March 15, 2005, will meet the needs of the present and future generations and cater to the large number of visitors to Yad Vashem. The Complex will include: the Holocaust History Museum - a new updated museum with a unique architectural design, 3 times larger than the present museum.  Emphasis will be placed on presenting the events of the Holocaust from the perspective of the individual, principally through the display of personal artifacts and the stories behind them, using advanced display technology that speaks to the younger generation.

The Museum of Holocaust Art - a new museum with large exhibition spaces will allow for the display of many works from the collection. In addition to the exhibit, the museum will gather data on artwork from the Holocaust and will set up a computerized information center to be used by visitors.  The complex will also include an Exhibition Pavilion, a Visual Center where visitors will be able to watch videotaped testimonies, archival excerpts and documentary films about the Holocaust made all over the world, a Learning Center granting visitors quick and easy access to material about the Holocaust, and a synagogue containing remnants from synagogues destroyed during the Holocaust.

Copyright ©2004 Yad Vashem The Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority