Holocaust survivors, educators, councillors and members of the public met in the Town Hall where ten possible designs for a new national Holocaust Memorial were unveiled at a reception hosted by Deputy Lord Mayor Eddy Newman.

The memorial and accompanying education centre will stand in the shadow of Parliament, in Westminster’s Victoria Tower Gardens, honouring victims and survivors of Nazi persecution and acting as a national voice against hatred in our modern world today for individuals and communities across the UK.

People in Manchester and the North West are being urged to have their say on the designs and how the Government can ensure the benefits of the project are felt outside of the physical location in London.
Consultation with people in the North West, Holocaust survivors and refugees, those working in the field of Holocaust remembrance and education in Manchester, as well as technical experts will play a crucial role in informing the final decision of the jury and visitors to the Central Library are invited to give their views as part of the exhibition. The winning design team will be announced in the summer.

The travelling exhibition has been displayed in the Westminster and Scottish Parliaments and will also visit the National Assembly of Wales.

Deputy Lord Mayor of Manchester, Cllr Eddy Newman, said: “It’s an honour to host this exhibition in Manchester and, I hope by doing so, we can play our part in encouraging conversation about the atrocities experienced at the hands of the Nazi regime. It is vital that we remember and vital that we continue to educate ourselves – and future generations – about the horrors of the holocaust so that such events never darken human history again.”

Sir Peter Bazalgette Chair of the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation tasked by Government with creating the Memorial and education centre, said:

“The new National Holocaust Memorial and education centre must be a truly UK-wide initiative, reaching people the length and breadth of the country. The Memorial will be a permanent site of remembrance to victims of Nazi persecution, with the accompanying education centre acting more broadly as a voice against hatred and prejudice in the modern world.

“It is vital voices in Manchester and across the North West are heard as this most important project develops which is why I was so pleased to unveil the 10 shortlisted teams’ memorial designs in Manchester Town Hall last night.”

The UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation has already completed an urgent project to record the testimony of over 100 Holocaust survivors who had never before told their stories. This important educational resource will sit in the education centre and be available to schools, academics and members of the public across the UK.

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