Shoah Memorial

What is the Shoah Memorial in Paris?

The Shoah Memorial is a place of remembrance in Paris, France, dedicated to the genocide of Jews during the Second World War. It includes a museum, several memorial sites, the Centre de Documentation Juive Contemporaine and a branch in Drancy.
An archive center and museum, the Memorial is today an essential place of mediation and transmission.

Where is the Shoah Memorial in Paris, and how do I get there?

The Shoah Memorial is located at 17 rue Geoffroy-l'Asnier, 75004 Paris. It is served by the Saint-Paul (line 1), Hôtel de Ville (lines 1 and 11) and Pont Marie (line 7) metro stations, as well as by several bus lines: 67, 69, 76 and 96.

What is the history of the Shoah Memorial?

In April 1943, during the Second World War, Isaac Schneersohn and Léon Poliakov went underground to found the Centre de documentation juive contemporaine to gather documentary evidence of the persecution and destruction of European Jewry.
In 1957, the Mémorial du Martyr juif inconnu was inaugurated, and in January 2005, the site was renamed the Mémorial de la Shoah. In 2012, a branch was opened at the former Drancy camp.

The Memorial's current form was inaugurated in January 2005, but there had already been a crypt with a tomb-memorial for the victims of the Shoah: Le Mémorial du Martyr Juif Inconnu (MMJI) since 1957.

What does the Shoah Memorial do?

The Shoah Memorial organizes temporary exhibitions on the history of the Jews during the Second World War, educational activities, training courses, trips to places of remembrance, a summer university, and editorial activities. It publishes the “Revue d'histoire de la Shoah” and monographs.

What are the Allée des Justes and the Mur des Justes?

The Allée des Justes and the Mur des Justes pay tribute to the Justes of France who helped Jews during the war. The Mur des Justes lists the Righteous by the year in which they were named Righteous and in alphabetical order.

What does the crypt house?

Beneath the forecourt, the crypt houses the tomb of the unknown Jewish martyr. This black marble monument contains the ashes of Jews exterminated in the death camps and in the ruins of the Warsaw ghetto, mixed with Israeli soil. An eternal flame burns at the center of the Star of David in tribute to the six million Jews who perished.

What is the Wall of Names?

The Wall of Names, located at the entrance to the Shoah Memorial, commemorates the 75,568 French and foreign Jews, including 11,400 children, deported from France during the Second World War.
Names are listed by year and alphabetically.

What can be found in the Children's Memorial Room?

In the Children's Memorial room, 3,000 photographs of Jewish children deported from France are on display.

What does the Centre de documentation juive contemporaine hold?

The Centre de documentation juive contemporaine (Contemporary Jewish Documentation Center), located on the upper floors of the Memorial, houses an extensive collection of documents, including 40 million archival documents, 90,000 photos, 80,000 books and periodicals. It is open to researchers and the general public.

Which films were shot at the Shoah Memorial?

Several films have been shot at the Shoah Memorial, including “Un secret” by Claude Miller, “Le Nom des gens” by Michel Leclerc, “Elle s'appelait Sarah” by Gilles Paquet-Brenner, “Les Héritiers” by Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar, “J'aimerais qu'il reste quelque chose” by Ludovic Cantais, and “Simone, le voyage du siècle” by Olivier Dahan.

Who has chaired the Shoah Memorial since 2005?

The Shoah Memorial has been chaired by Éric de Rothschild since 2005.

What's new at the Memorial and about temporary exhibitions?

Find out what's new at the Memorial on the Mémorial de la Shoah du Marais website.

Back to the list of Museums in the Marais