Places of Memory

There's an article on the BBC about the debate over whether to restore the Auschwitz concentration camp or to leave it to crumble. It's an interesting question which affects just about every country; everywhere has sites where painful and traumatic events took place and where people's memorial effects tend to become focused (not all on the scale of Auschwitz). The ESMA in Buenos Aires is one such example. So what should we do with such sites, particularly if there is a chance that they will fall into disrepair? Do we make an effort to keep them preserved for future generations, do we adapt them, or do we let them be forgotten? Feel free to contribute your opinions in the comments section... I'll expand on my thoughts as soon as time permits.