Hiroshima Peace Memorial
Encyclopedia
Hiroshima Peace Memorial, commonly called the Atomic Bomb Dome or , in Hiroshima
, Japan
, is part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
and was designated a UNESCO
World Heritage Site
in 1996. The ruin 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.
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. The dome atop the building had an elliptical planform.
At 8:15 on August 6, 1945, Little Boy
— the first atomic bomb to be used in war — detonated almost directly above the dome. Because of the downward force of the blast at least some of the building managed to stay intact. The center of the blast was displaced 490 feet (149.4 m) horizontally and 1968 feet (599.8 m) vertically from the dome, having slightly missed the original target (the distinctive "T"-shaped Aioi Bridge
),. Everyone inside the building was killed instantly.
The Genbaku Dome, originally close to Shima Surgical Clinic
was initially scheduled to be demolished with the rest of the ruins, but the fact that it mostly was intact 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.
In 1966 Hiroshima City declared that it intended to preserve the structure — now termed "A-Bomb Dome" — indefinitely. Funds were sought locally and internationally. As of July 2011, the A-Bomb Dome has undergone two minor preservation projects to stabilize the ruin.
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 asserted that having a memorial to a war site would omit the necessary historical context.
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, is part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
is a memorial park in the center of Hiroshima, Japan. It is dedicated to the legacy of Hiroshima as the first city in the world to suffer a nuclear attack, and to the memories of the bomb's direct and indirect victims ....
and was designated a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
in 1996. The ruin serves as a memorial to the people who were killed in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
During the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States conducted two atomic bombings against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, the first on August 6, 1945, and the second on August 9, 1945. These two events are the only use of nuclear weapons in war to date.For six months...
on August 6, 1945. Over 70,000 people were killed instantly, and another 70,000 suffered fatal injuries from the radiation.
History
The building was designed by the CzechCzech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
, Jan Letzel
Jan Letzel
Jan Letzel was a Czech architect.-Biography:Jan Letzel was born in the town of Náchod, Bohemia. The son of a hotel owners Jan Letzel and his wife Walburga Letzel, née Havlicek...
. 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. The dome atop the building had an elliptical planform.
Atomic bombing
Little Boy
"Little Boy" was the codename of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 by the Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay, piloted by Colonel Paul Tibbets of the 393rd Bombardment Squadron, Heavy, of the United States Army Air Forces. It was the first atomic bomb to be used as a weapon...
— the first atomic bomb to be used in war — detonated almost directly above the dome. Because of the downward force of the blast at least some of the building managed to stay intact. The center of the blast was displaced 490 feet (149.4 m) horizontally and 1968 feet (599.8 m) vertically from the dome, having slightly missed the original target (the distinctive "T"-shaped Aioi Bridge
Aioi Bridge
The is an unusual "T"-shaped bridge in Hiroshima, Japan. The original bridge, constructed in 1932, was the aiming point for the 1945 Hiroshima atom bomb because its shape was easily recognized from the air. A replica was constructed in 1983....
),. Everyone inside the building was killed instantly.
The Genbaku Dome, originally close to Shima Surgical Clinic
Shima hospital
was a Japanese hospital destroyed by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945. Shima Hospital is considered to be ground zero of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima....
was initially scheduled to be demolished with the rest of the ruins, but the fact that it mostly was intact 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.
In 1966 Hiroshima City declared that it intended to preserve the structure — now termed "A-Bomb Dome" — indefinitely. Funds were sought locally and internationally. As of July 2011, the A-Bomb Dome has undergone two minor preservation projects to stabilize the ruin.
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 asserted that having a memorial to a war site would omit the necessary historical context.
Panorama
See also
- Hiroshima Peace Memorial ParkHiroshima Peace Memorial Parkis a memorial park in the center of Hiroshima, Japan. It is dedicated to the legacy of Hiroshima as the first city in the world to suffer a nuclear attack, and to the memories of the bomb's direct and indirect victims ....
- Hiroshima WitnessHiroshima WitnessHiroshima Witness, also released as Voice of Hibakusha, is a documentary film featuring 100 interviews of people who survived the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, also known as hibakusha. The Hiroshima Witness program was produced in 1986 by the Hiroshima Peace Cultural Center and NHK,...
- Tourism in JapanTourism in JapanTourism in Japan attracted 8.3 million foreign visitors in 2008, slightly more than Singapore and Ireland. Japan has 16 World Heritage Sites, including Himeji Castle and Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto . Kyoto receives over 30 million tourists annually...
- List of World Heritage Sites in Japan
External links
- Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Dome
- Entry on UNESCOUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
(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!Democracy Now!Democracy Now! and its staff have received several journalism awards, including the Gracie Award from American Women in Radio & Television; the George Polk Award for its 1998 radio documentary Drilling and Killing: Chevron and Nigeria's Oil Dictatorship, on the Chevron Corporation and the deaths of...
