You said that such institution today „feels more important than ever”. What is than happening today that you think there is such a necessity?
The ones surviving the Holocaust has thought many generations about the monstrous deeds committed but they are very few left. It’s in their spirit, and their memories that must live on in to the future. With the development we see around the western world this feels more important than ever. The generation who lived through the holocaust will in a few years no longer be with us, it is our responsibility to carry their memories forward to future generations.
Will there be a place for some more complex and difficult topics from the war-time history of Sweden?
I don’t think that it’s up to the government on what to include or not in the museum, because we are not the experts. Our ambition is a museum that presents the history of the holocaust and it’s effect on Sweden and Europe in its full complexity. The precise shaping of the museum will be on the expertise to determine.
Educators around the world face an important challange to teach the history that happened over 70 years ago in such way to be able to find some universal questions and lessons for today and for the future. What do you think should be such a lesson?
We always have to learn from history. The further away the more we have got to make an understanding for what happened a natural part of everyone’s education. To all those who are in doubt of the power of democracy, the message must be clear: Democracy makes you stronger, and democracy is getting stronger by you. That is part of what our aim is to introduce this museum and other initiatives to educate and strengthen young Swedes.
What are the possible locations of the future institution and the timeframe of its creation?
We have not taken the actual decision yet so the timetable is not set yet, but the first step is to start the work to get an official government decision and to put aside funding for the museum. We have not decided on location yet.
Bottom: Rescued Danish Jews on their way to Sweden /Right: Raoul Wallenberg