Durban museum opens memorial exhibition
Ukranian Ambassador, HE Liubov Abravitova, attended the launch.
TO mark the 80th commemoration of the Babyn (Babi) Yar Massacre by the Nazi Einsatzgruppen (death squads) and their collaborators, a moving exhibition was launched at the Durban Holocaust & Genocide Centre (DHGC), in partnership with the Ukrainian Embassy in Pretoria.
The transformed space was opened to the public on Thursday, October 14 and will run until November 14. Entry is free of charge.
Speaking at the launch, DHGC Director, Mary Kluk recounted the harrowing massacre that saw SS and German police units mass murder Jews in Ukraine’s capital city, Kiev. The massacre took place at a ravine called Babi Yar on September 29 to 30, 1941.
“The victims were summoned to the site, forced to undress, and then compelled to enter the ravine. According to reports sent to the Einsatzgruppen headquarters in Berlin, 33 771 Jews were massacred during this two-day period,” said Kluk.
Recounting the events leading up to the massacre, Kluk said an invasion, code-named Operation Barbarossa, saw German forces enter Kiev on September 19, 1941 – three months after invading the Soviet Union on June 22 when nearly four million troops and their allies crossed the border.
“Before the German invasion, some 160 000 Jews lived in Kiev – approximately 20% of the total population of the city. Following the start of Operation Barbarossa, approximately
100 000 Jews fled Kiev or were already serving in the Soviet military. Most of those who remained were women and children and the elderly as well as those who were ill,” she added.
* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
Do you want to receive news alerts via Telegram? Send us a message (not an sms) with your name and surname to 060 532 5535. You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Berea Mail Telegram number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple
