Anne Frank Exhibition at Westside Library

An Anne Frank Exhibition takes place at Westside Library from Tuesday 16th May to Friday 9th June. The Official opening is by Deputy Mayor of Galway City, Councillor Colette Connolly on Thursday evening 18th May at 6.30 p.m.

What is it?

Anne Frank: A history for today. A travelling exhibition designed by the curators of the Anne Frank Huis in Amsterdam. The exhibition challenges us to think of tolerance, human rights and democracy.

How?

By telling Anne Frank’s story and that of her family and by showing the history of the Holocaust through the testimony of other contemporary witnesses. The exhibition encourages the visitor to think about then and now - to see parallels and differences in events. This exhibition is visiting Ireland from January to June 2006. It has already been hosted by Pearse Street Library and Ballyfermot Branch Library in Dublin. It then travelled to Waterford and from there to Limerick and finally on to Galway.
The exhibition will be open during normal library opening hours and also on Mondays and groups wishing to book should contact Westside Library at 091-520616. Booking is essential for groups.
Volunteer guides are required to help with showing groups around the exhibition and all necessary training will be given on Monday 15th May in Westside Library. So if you wish to volunteer a couple of hours per week please contact Cora Gunter at Westside Library 091-520616.

Format

The exhibition consists of a number of panels all arranged chronologically. The life history of Anne Frank is the thread that runs through the entire exhibition. The family’s story reflects world events during and after the Nazi regime. The exhibition juxtaposes photographs of the Frank family with those of historical events of the time and shows how persecuted people such as the Franks were affected by political decisions and by the actions of individuals. This history is shown in sections. In each of these sections a theme which still has relevance for us today is discussed in depth.
An essential component of the exhibition is the short film about Anne Frank and her family called “The short life of Anne Frank”. It is informative and moving. It takes 25 minutes to watch this film. Groups should aim to spend about one and a half hours viewing the exhibition and film.

The exhibition is brought to Ireland by The Holocaust Educational Trust of Ireland in association with the National Action Plan against Racism and co-sponsored by Cognotec.