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NAZI era boxcar comes to Michigan

Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 2:48 pm
by Michael
http://www.holocaustcenter.org/index.ph ... 1&Itemid=1

Just after 3 pm on Friday, September 23, 2011, the Holocaust Memorial Center's newest artifact arrived. The Holocaust-era boxcar had been several weeks in transit via rail, truck, and ship, and was placed via a crane in its new home behind the HMC in Farmington Hills.

The boxcar is of the style referred to as "forty and eight," which refers to its carrying capacity. Boxcars similar to this were used to carry freight and personnel during WWII. Similar cars were also used to transport Jews and other victims of the Holocaust to concentration camps and killing centers.

The HMC's boxcar's provenance is unclear. It dates to the Holocaust-era and other boxcars of its style were in use through the 1960s. This particular boxcar was parked in Cottbus, Germany prior to its relocation to metro Detroit. It is now a permanent part of the HMC's collections and will be carefully preserved.

Photos and periodic updates are available on the HMC's Facebook page (facebook.com/hmczfc).
Photo direct link: http://on.fb.me/p5YAdt

Re: NAZI era boxcar comes to Michigan

Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 4:15 pm
by AARR
Thanks for posting Michael.

For anyone interested in WW2 history this a great place to visit. I highly recommend it.

Re: NAZI era boxcar comes to Michigan

Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 5:18 pm
by odave
They have one of these cars at the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C., and you can go inside. Very haunting.

Re: NAZI era boxcar comes to Michigan

Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 8:01 pm
by Michigan Railfan
Pretty cool. Hopefully I can make a trip out there one day. We just finished learning about the Holocaust in English class. We read Night by Elie Wiesel and watched "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas." Very sad, but I recommend both for anyone wanting to dig deeper into the Holocaust.