The Politics of Memory and the Display of Human Remains: Murambi Genocide Memorial, Rwanda

Shannon Scully, Aegis Trust Rwanda

Description

This article examines the use and public display of preserved human remains in memorialization practices at the Murambi Genocide Memorial in the Southern Province of Rwanda. Murambi Genocide Memorial is a school that has been turned into a memorial site in Rwanda, where 50,000 Tutsis were massacred in April 1994 during the Genocide against the Tutsi. During the exhumations of the mass graves in 1995, 848 bodies were preserved and are now on display in 24 classrooms, lying on wooden-slat tables. The article presents a hitherto-unexplored academic perspective regarding memorialization in post-conflict Rwanda, specifically relating to Murambi. Contrary to other academic accounts, which argue that such displays are un-dignified, an unjustified display of atrocity, or simply a display of the victors’ historical narrative, the article seeks to show the display of human remains plays an integral role in the preservation of the memory of the Genocide.

The article explains why the bodies at Murambi serve as effective tools for education about genocide, preserving the memory of the events that occurred there – events that took place throughout Rwanda and are a reminder of the potential consequences when hatred and impunity are left to fester. It shows how they serve a purpose for future generations of Rwandese, and the world, that is greater than negative individual or political reactions. Holocaust survivor and author Primo Levi wrote that although he was witness to the Holocaust, the true witnesses were those who were killed. The bodies at Murambi, therefore, are the true witnesses to the Genocide against the Tutsi, and it is argued their existence and display should be valued and preserved, not covered and buried.

 
Jan 11th, 9:30 AM Jan 11th, 11:00 AM

The Politics of Memory and the Display of Human Remains: Murambi Genocide Memorial, Rwanda

This article examines the use and public display of preserved human remains in memorialization practices at the Murambi Genocide Memorial in the Southern Province of Rwanda. Murambi Genocide Memorial is a school that has been turned into a memorial site in Rwanda, where 50,000 Tutsis were massacred in April 1994 during the Genocide against the Tutsi. During the exhumations of the mass graves in 1995, 848 bodies were preserved and are now on display in 24 classrooms, lying on wooden-slat tables. The article presents a hitherto-unexplored academic perspective regarding memorialization in post-conflict Rwanda, specifically relating to Murambi. Contrary to other academic accounts, which argue that such displays are un-dignified, an unjustified display of atrocity, or simply a display of the victors’ historical narrative, the article seeks to show the display of human remains plays an integral role in the preservation of the memory of the Genocide.

The article explains why the bodies at Murambi serve as effective tools for education about genocide, preserving the memory of the events that occurred there – events that took place throughout Rwanda and are a reminder of the potential consequences when hatred and impunity are left to fester. It shows how they serve a purpose for future generations of Rwandese, and the world, that is greater than negative individual or political reactions. Holocaust survivor and author Primo Levi wrote that although he was witness to the Holocaust, the true witnesses were those who were killed. The bodies at Murambi, therefore, are the true witnesses to the Genocide against the Tutsi, and it is argued their existence and display should be valued and preserved, not covered and buried.