The National WWII Museum, a prominent institution dedicated to preserving the memory and history of World War II, is about to unveil its latest addition, the Liberation Pavilion. This expansive three-story complex is set to open on Friday, with ceremonies planned to honor around 40 surviving veterans of the war. The Liberation Pavilion is a project of great ambition, spanning 33,000 square feet and filled with displays that capture both the grim reality and hopeful resilience of those affected by the war.
The Pavilion’s exhibits take visitors on a journey through the end of the war, highlighting the devastating human cost, showcasing the horrors uncovered by those who witnessed Nazi atrocities, and recounting the international efforts to seek justice for those who were killed and tortured. Films, photographs, and recorded oral histories provide a multifaceted perspective on the war’s impact, from the joys and challenges faced by returning soldiers to the global initiatives to rebuild and recover.
Underpinning the entire experience is the idea that nearly eight decades later, the legacy of World War II continues to shape our world. Rob Citino, the museum’s Samuel Zemurray Stone Senior Historian, emphasizes the profound impact of the war, stating, “We live in a world created by World War II.”
The Liberation Pavilion begins with a somber tone as visitors pass by a shimmering wall adorned with military dog tags, each bearing the name of an American who made the ultimate sacrifice, with over 414,000 American war dead remembered. The centerpiece exhibit is a large crate that was used to transport the coffin of an Army private back to his family in Ohio. Nearby, a recreation of the secret hiding place where Anne Frank and her family sought refuge from the Nazis in Amsterdam pays tribute to their story. Visitors are then led to a dimly lit room displaying wooden bunks and life-size projections of emaciated survivors from a Nazi concentration camp. Adjacent to this is a simulated salt mine with images of artworks plundered by the Germans and later recovered.
Amidst the grim exhibits, the second floor offers hope through smaller items, such as a violin constructed by American prisoner of war Air Force 1st Lt. Clair Cline. Using scavenged wood and glue collected from furniture around the camp, Cline crafted the violin as a means of combating the monotony of internment.
The second floor also explores the challenges that veterans faced upon returning home, including the persistent segregation and violence against Black veterans and the evolving roles of women, which played a crucial part in advancing equality. According to Citino, “Civil rights is the fifties and women’s equality is more like the sixties, but we think both of those seminal changes in American society can be traced back in a significant way to World War II.”
The third floor features a multi-format theater with moving screens and a rotating audience platform, providing a dynamic presentation of images and oral histories that emphasize the theme of “freedom under pressure” and the triumph of American-led freedom.
The Liberation Pavilion is the final permanent exhibit added to the National WWII Museum, which initially opened as the National D-Day Museum in 2000. Its mission has since expanded to cover all aspects of the Second World War, becoming a significant tourist attraction in New Orleans. As the generation that experienced the war firsthand dwindles and the Baby Boom generation, raised on its lore, ages, the museum remains dedicated to keeping the memory of this historic event alive.
Rob Citino eloquently sums up the museum’s mission, “World War II is as close to the Civil War as it is to us. It’s a long time ago in human lives, and especially our media-drenched culture. A week seems like a year and 80 years seems like five centuries. I think the museum realized a long time ago it has a responsibility to keep the memory of this war, the achievement of that generation alive. And that’s precisely what Liberation Pavilion’s going to be talking about.”
