Exhibition and comic strip exhibition Horrors of the Holocaust

Exhibition and comic strip exhibition Horrors of the Holocaust

A comic strip from 1944 inspired historian Ribbens: A book about the horrors of the Holocaust. Ten artists from three countries approach the subject in completely different ways. The works are now also presented in an exhibition.

At the Dutch NS Memorial Site Westerbork, an exhibition is on display with comics by ten cartoonists from Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium about the Holocaust. “Showing the Unimaginable” is the title of the accompanying book with ten comics about the Holocaust, which was also presented. The exhibition and the book are a joint project of the memorial sites Neuengamme near Hamburg, the Kazerne Dossin in Belgium and the Memorial Site Westerbork.

The initiative came from the Dutch historian Kees Ribbens. He had recently discovered a short comic strip in the US, in which the artist August M. Froehlich had already depicted the arrival of transports with Jews in extermination camps in 1944. “Nazi Death Parade” is probably the oldest comic strip about the atrocities of the Nazis.

Cartoonists from the three countries were then commissioned to tell scenes from the camps as comic strips. They had access to historical sources. The cartoonists came from different generations of the post-war period, Ribbens told the German Press Agency in Amsterdam. “Therefore, their work shows different perspectives on the events, victims and perpetrators of the Nazi era and makes connections with the contemporary world.”

The ten stories are collected in the book, which will be published in German, English, French and Dutch. The exhibition shows the original drawings, historical documents and film and audio fragments. It will also be shown in Belgium and Neuengamme at a later date.

The comic is published in four languages ​​by publisher Scratch Books. The exhibition can be seen at the Camp Westerbork Memorial until September 1, 2023.

The publication of the comic strip entitled “Nazi Death Parade” by August M. Froehlich, depicting the arrival of Jewish transports to extermination camps during World War II, served as inspiration for historian Kees Ribbens. The Holocaust is also the subject of historical comic strip exhibitions, such as the one at the Dutch NS Memorial Westerbork, featuring works by ten artists from Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. These exhibitions and accompanying books, such as “Showing the Unimaginable,” aim to offer different perspectives on the events, victims and perpetrators of the Nazi era, emphasizing their connection to contemporary politics.

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