More than a half century after the end of World War II, plans were initiated in 2001 in central Illinois to encourage a better understanding of the indelible lessons created by the horrors and magnitude of the number of lives lost during the Holocaust, during which two-thirds of Europe’s Jewish population was slaughtered. How could we visually teach our children and future generations about this dark chapter in human history? How does one show the staggering numbers of 6 million Jews exterminated and 5 million enemies of the state who lost their lives? Undaunted by such an immense undertaking, a diverse group of people united to form The Peoria Holocaust Memorial Button Project: A Prevention, Education, and Awareness Project. The visual image selected: The simple button. Each of these hand-counted buttons would represent each life lost in the Holocaust. Thus was born The Button Project: Joining Our Past to Our Future.
Volunteers and the public in general all worked towards the same goal: Honoring those people who were silenced and the survivors whose voices grow soft with age. The sculpture provides a visual representation of what is too startling and too staggering for the mind or heart to comprehend. The Memorial will stand as a dream fulfilled, as a work of art, as a symbol of life and as a beacon to future generations to remain vigilant and steadfast for tolerance. It will be a reminder of the lessons of the Holocaust with the hope that we never allow it to happen again.
6 million Jews, 5 million “enemies of the state”
Eleven million buttons. Some small, some big, some bold, some basic. Now, close your eyes for a moment and imagine each one is a person. Visualize one person standing before you. That’s easy. Now, try to fathom 11 million … lives … mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, husbands, wives … millions eliminated by the Holocaust of World War II, the greatest single tragedy created by man and recorded by man.
Why we selected buttons
Each button is unique — like each person. Buttons hold things together, an analogy to each individual who helped hold together their family, their community, and their society. Buttons once opened, left the people vulnerable. Buttons were a part of all the clothes left behind at the gates of the concentration camps, ghettos, and slave camps. Buttons are enduring — they last long after garments have faded and unraveled to remind us of the lessons of the Holocaust. Buttons are round and symbolize the cycle of life.
The symbolism
Therein lies the reason for this unique memorial, its legacy a reminder of the need for tolerance and respect for all mankind. Six million buttons, representing the 6 million Jews who were exterminated, are encased in 18 glass columns in the shape of the Star of David. Eighteen is symbolic in Judaism for the word “Chai,” which means life. The two rows symbolize the concentration camp selection process, which indicated whether someone would live or die. Five triangles represent the 5 million “enemies of the state” who were murdered, including political and religious leaders, Roma gypsies, Serbians, Catholics, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the trade unionists, alcoholics and the handicapped. Each targeted group wore a different colored triangle to identify their “enemy” status.