Dr. Torsten Homberger, author of “The Honor Dress of the Movement: A Cultural History of Hitler’s Brown Shirt Uniform, 1920–1933,” will speak about the rise of Nazism, setting the stage for the events explored in the exhibition. The exhibition will be open for tours. Light refreshments will be served, and all ages are welcome.

The Americans and the Holocaust traveling exhibition from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., will be at the Calvin T. Ryan Library on the University of Nebraska Kearney campus from February 5 – March 19 during library hours.

The exhibit addresses important themes in American history, including Americans’ responses to refugees, war and genocide in the 1930s and ‘40s. This exhibition will challenge the commonly held assumptions that Americans knew little and did nothing about the Nazi persecution and murder of Jews as the Holocaust unfolded. Drawing on a remarkable collection of primary sources from the 1930s and ‘40s, the exhibition focuses on the stories of individuals and groups of Americans who took action in response to Nazism. It will challenge visitors to consider the responsibilities and obstacles faced by individuals—from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to ordinary Americans—who made difficult choices, sought to effect change, and, in a few cases, took significant risks to help victims of Nazism even as rescue never became a government priority. The exhibit hopes to challenge people to not only ask “what would I have done?” but also, “what will I do?”

For more information about events related to the exhibit, visit the exhibit website.