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he Museum's Permanent Exhibition The Holocaust spans three floors of the Museum building. The exhibition is divided into three parts: "Nazi Assault" (opening floor), "Final Solution" (middle floor), and "Last Chapter" (final floor). The narrative begins with images of death and destruction as witnessed by American soldiers during the liberation of Nazi concentration camps in 1945. Most first-time visitors spend an average of two to three hours in this self-guided exhibition. Recommended for visitors 11 years of age and older.
Between 1933 and 1945 the United States government, American organizations and institutions, and private individuals responded in a wide variety of ways to the news of Nazi persecution, the refugee problem, and the events leading up to and including the Holocaust. Explore the links on this page to find out more about American responses.
OVERVIEW
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THE OPENING FLOOR: THE NAZI ASSAULT—1933 TO 1939
 | THE NAZI BOOK BURNINGS
On the day of book burnings in Germany, massive crowds march from New York’s Madison Square Garden to protest Nazi oppression and anti-Jewish persecution. New York City, United States, May 10, 1933. National Archives and Records Administration / USHMM #69040 |
Online Exhibition:
Soon after Hitler took power in 1933, observers in the United States and other western democracies questioned the morality of supporting Olympic Games hosted by the Nazi regime.  | 1936 OLYMPIC BOYCOTT DEBATE
This cartoon, The Modern Mercury, by Jerry Doyle appeared in The Philadelphia Record, December 7, 1935. Provided by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania |
Online Exhibition:
Holocaust Encyclopedia Article:
 | AMERICAN ORGANIZATIONS AND NAZI GERMANY
Pro-Nazi German American Bund rally at Madison Square Garden. New York, United States, February 20, 1939. Courtesy of the University of Southern California |
Holocaust Encyclopedia Articles:
 | The American Jewish Congress holds an emergency session following the Nazi rise to power and subsequent anti-Jewish measures. United States, May 1933. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum #89752 |
Holocaust Encyclopedia Articles:
 | REFUGEE CRISIS – THE EVIAN CONFERENCE
View of the “No help, no haven, 1938” display on the opening floor of the Permanent Exhibition, The Holocaust. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum #N02383 |
Holocaust Encyclopedia Articles:
 | THE ST. LOUIS
Gerda Blachmann was a passenger aboard the St. Louis. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum |
Online Exhibition:
Holocaust Encyclopedia Articles:
THE MIDDLE FLOOR: THE “FINAL SOLUTION”—1940 TO 1945
 | WHY WASN’T AUSCHWITZ BOMBED?
Aerial photograph of the Auschwitz III (Monowitz) camp, which was adjacent to the I.G. Farben plant. The photograph was taken following U.S. bombing missions. Poland, January 14, 1945. National Archives and Records Administration / USHMM #91364 |
Holocaust Encyclopedia Articles:
THE FINAL FLOOR: LAST CHAPTER
 | LIBERATION OF THE CAMPS
While touring the newly liberated Ohrdruf camp, General Dwight Eisenhower and other high ranking U.S. Army officers view the bodies of prisoners who were killed during the evacuation of Ohrdruf. Ohrdruf, Germany, April 12, 1945. National Archives and Records Administration / USHMM #04649 |
Holocaust Encyclopedia Articles:
 | JEWISH REFUGEES DURING WORLD WAR II
Refugees crowd the deck of a U.S. army transport carrying nearly 1,000 Jews from Europe to the United States. The refugees will be sheltered at Fort Ontario near Oswego, New York. Atlantic Ocean, August 1944. Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Butler Library, Columbia University / USHMM #60047 |
Holocaust Encyclopedia Articles:
 | RESCUE
Varian Fry in Marseilles. France, 1940-1941. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum #01230 |
Holocaust Encyclopedia Articles:
 | POSTWAR JUSTICE
The International Military Tribunal was a court convened jointly by the victorious Allied governments. Here the Soviet, British, American, and French flags hang behind the judges' bench. National Archives and Records Administration / USHMM #61332 |
Holocaust Encyclopedia Articles:
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