An Indonesian museum that allowed visitors to take selfies with a life-size wax sculpture of Hitler against a backdrop of Auschwitz concentration camp has removed the exhibit following international outrage, the manager said on Saturday.
De ARCA Statue Art Museum in the Javanese city of Jogjakarta drew swift condemnation from rights groups after details of the controversial display were published in foreign media.
Hitler and Auschwitz
The exhibit features a sure-footed Hitler standing in front of a huge photo of the gates of Auschwitz. The museum’s operations manager, Jamie Misbah, said the the wax sculpture had been removed after the building was alerted to criticism from prominent Jewish human rights organisation the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
“We don’t want to attract outrage,” Mr. Misbah told AFP.The Hitler sculpture is one of about 80 figures, including world leaders and celebrities, at the wax and visual effects centre.
The Nazi-themed exhibit was a popular attraction for visitors to take selfies, and photos circulating on social media show customers — including children — posing with Hitler and in some cases using the Nazi salute.
Historians have blamed poor schooling for the lack of awareness and sensitivity about the Holocaust in Indonesia.
In January, a controversial Nazi-themed cafe in the western Javanese city of Bandung closed.
