Hiroshima Peace Memorial
| Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome)* |
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|---|---|
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| State Party |  Japan |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | vi |
| Reference | 775 |
| Region** | Asia-Pacific |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 1996 (20th Session) |
| * Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. ** Region as classified by UNESCO. |
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Hiroshima Peace Memorial, commonly called the Atomic Bomb Dome or A-Bomb Dome (原爆ドーム Genbaku Dōmu), in Hiroshima, Japan, is part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. The building serves as a memorial to the people who were killed in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Over 70,000 people were killed instantly, and another 70,000 suffered fatal injuries from the radiation.
Contents |
History
The building was designed by the Czech architect, Jan Letzel. It was completed in April 1915, and was named the Hiroshima Prefectural Commercial Exhibition (HMI). It was opened formally to the public in August that year. In 1921 the name was changed to the Hiroshima Prefectural Products Exhibition Hall, and again in 1933, to the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall.
Atomic bombing
Having slightly missed the original target (the distinctive "T"-shaped Aioi Bridge), at 8:15 on August 6, 1945, the first nuclear bomb to be used in war, detonated almost directly above the dome (the center of the blast was 490 feet (150 m) away and 1,968 feet (600 m) above ground).
The Genbaku Dome, originally close to Shima Surgical Clinic, initially was scheduled to be demolished with the rest of the ruins, but the fact that it mostly was intact, use delayed these plans. As Hiroshima was rebuilt around the dome, it became a subject of controversy; some locals wanted it torn down, while others wanted to preserve it as a memorial of the bombing.[2]
In 1966 Hiroshima City declared that it intended to preserve the now termed "A-bomb Dome" indefinitely. Funds were sought locally and internationally. To date, the A-bomb Dome has undergone two preservation projects.
In December 1996 the A-bomb Dome was registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List based on the Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. China had reservations regarding the confirmation of the memorial as a World Heritage Site and the delegate of the United States to the World Heritage Committee dissociated himself from the decision. China cited the possibility that the monument could be used to downplay the fact that the victim countries of Japan's aggression suffered the greatest losses of life during the war, while the United States claimed that having a memorial to a "war site" would omit the necessary historical context.[3]
Panorama
Gallery
 Products Exhibition Hall in its original shape (photo taken sometime in 1921–33) |
 Hall, taken from Motoyasu Bridge around the same time. |
 Nighttime photograph taken in 1921. |
 Citizens of the city pass by the Hiroshima Peace Memorial on their way to a memorial ceremony on August 6, 2004 |
 The dome, photo taken from the southwest side |
 Distant view of the dome; shot is taken from the Aioi bridge |
 Hiroshima Peace Memorial, viewed from the Peace Park |
 Side view of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial |
 Close up of the dome |
 Dome with plaque |
 Peace Dome, then and now |
 A-Bomb Dome in 2007 |
 A-bomb dome taken at night |
 A-Bomb Dome at Night |
See also
- Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
- Hiroshima Witness
References
- ↑ "Let's look at the Special Exhibit : Hiroshima on October 5,1945". Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/virtual/VirtualMuseum_e/exhibit_e/exh0702_e/exh070201_e.html#01. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
- ↑ Hiroshima Peace Museum
- ↑ WH Committee: Report of the 20th Session, Merida 1996
External links
- Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Dome
- Entry on UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) website
- Official page
- Trade Promotion Hall
- Official UNESCO page
- Picture of the building before the bombing
- U.S. Attending 2010 Hiroshima Memorial - video report by Democracy Now!
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