CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center
A small museum founded by Auschwitz survivor Eva Mozes Kor examines the Holocaust, Mengele’s twin experiments, forgiveness, testimony, and the responsibilities of witnesses.
Artwork inspired by Felrath Hines
CANDLES grew from Eva Mozes Kor’s search for other survivors of Josef Mengele’s experiments on twins at Auschwitz. Her testimony anchors the museum, but exhibits extend into Holocaust history, antisemitism, medical ethics, bystander choices, and the contested meaning of forgiveness. The building itself was rebuilt after an antisemitic arson attack, adding another layer to its argument about hatred and persistence.
This is a compact place that deserves unhurried attention. Begin with the historical sequence before evaluating Kor’s personal philosophy; forgiveness here is testimony, not a required conclusion for other survivors. Upper-grade students and adults are the intended audience, and young children are discouraged. Security screening and the emotional weight make a calm arrival preferable to squeezing the museum between casual stops.
- Founder
- Eva Mozes Kor
- Focus
- Mengele twin survivors
- Rebuilt
- After 2003 arson
Quick guide
- Learn the chronology
- Place the twin experiments within the broader machinery of persecution and genocide.
- Separate testimony and rule
- Understand Kor’s forgiveness as her own ethical position, not a universal expectation.
How to engage testimony without simplifying it
- Learn the chronology
- Place the twin experiments within the broader machinery of persecution and genocide.
- Separate testimony and rule
- Understand Kor’s forgiveness as her own ethical position, not a universal expectation.
- Notice reconstruction
- Connect the 2003 arson and rebuilding to the museum’s present work.
- Leave time afterward
- Do not schedule an immediate entertainment stop after difficult testimony.
Good to know
Public hours are Thursday–Saturday 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Admission is paid, with student, senior, and veteran reductions. On-site spaces are limited, with additional street parking nearby. Bags are searched and weapons prohibited. Content is recommended for grade 4 and older; children under 6 are discouraged. Contact the museum for specific accessibility needs.
Notice these
- Eva Kor testimony
- Mengele twins history
- Forgiveness debate