United Nations Headquarters to Host Official Opening of Poster Exhibition ‘State of Deception: the Power of Nazi Propaganda’, 24 January

The Department of Public Information will officially open a provocative exhibition from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on the important role of propaganda in bringing the Nazi Party to power, and in preparing the way for the Final Solution that resulted in the murder of 6 million Jewish people during the Holocaust.

Titled “State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda”, the poster exhibition will open at 6 p.m. on 24 January, in the Visitors’ Lobby at United Nations Headquarters in New York.  It lays out the manner in which the Nazis used propaganda to manipulate public opinion and behaviour in order to attain their goals.  Over two decades, they skilfully used their “terrible weapon” to win broad voter support in Germany’s young democracy, implement radical programmes under the party’s dictatorship and justify war and mass murder.

The exhibition also explores the nature of propaganda, explains how people can be vulnerable to its message and the dangerous consequences of its widespread use.  The exhibition closes by examining Allied post-war efforts to purge Germany of Nazi propaganda, including the establishment of imitations on hate speech — or speech with the potential to incite violence — in Germany and other European countries.

Cristina Gallach, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, will welcome guests to the opening ceremony, which will include remarks by Michele J. Sison, Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations; Howard D. Unger, member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council; Steven Luckert, Senior Programme Curator, Levine Institute for Holocaust Education, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; and Jill Pauly, Holocaust survivor and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum volunteer.

The Holocaust and the United Nations Outreach Programme, in partnership with the Museum, has published a set of posters based on the exhibition in the six official United Nations languages — Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish — as well as Dutch, Kiswahili and Ukrainian.  The exhibition will be displayed through United Nations information centres in 35 countries.

A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum inspires citizens and leaders around the world to confront hatred, prevent genocide and promote human dignity.  In addition to its leadership training programmes, the Museum sponsors on-site and traveling exhibitions, education outreach and Holocaust commemorations.  Its far-reaching educational programmes and global impact are made possible by generous donors.  Learn more about the Museum at www.ushmm.org, or contact ahollinger@ushmm.org.

The Department of Public Information, through its Holocaust and United Nations Outreach Programme, leads a year-long programme of remembrance and education activities.  For more information, please visit www.un.org/holocaustremembance or contact petersen@un.org.

The exhibition will be on display from 12 January to 5 March 2017.  During this period, the Visitors’ Lobby is open to the public Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed on weekends).  Government-issued photo identification is required.  All visitors must exit the building by 5:30 p.m.

For more information on exhibitions at United Nations Headquarters in New York, please contact morteo@un.org.