Peace Park (Nagasaki)

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Peace Park and Statue of Peace

The Peace Park ( Japanese 平和 公園 , Heiwa-kōen ) in Nagasaki was built in 1955 to warn the people about the dropping of the atomic bomb by US forces on August 9, 1945.

history

When the atomic bomb exploded over the city, 80% of all houses within a radius of one kilometer were destroyed, around 22,000 people died immediately in the inner city area; another 39,000 died within the next four months. To this day, other people are still dying from the consequential damage.

The statue of peace was erected in 1955, the fountain at the southern end of the park in August 1969. The accompanying plaque describes the fate of the atomic bomb victims who drank contaminated water after the explosion and were exposed to radiation based on the death of the nine-year-old girl Sachiko Yamaguchi.

Statue of peace

Statue of peace

In the Peace Park there is a monument about ten meters high, the statue for peace , which the sculptor Seibō Kitamura from Nagasaki created. Every year on August 9th, an event takes place at this monument, at which the Mayor of Nagasaki reads the declaration of peace to the world .

The figure of Kitamura is interpreted as a Buddhist symbol . The right arm of the statue points to the sky against the threat of nuclear weapons and the horizontally aligned left arm to the desire for peace. The figure's eyes are almost closed, suggesting that the figure is praying for the souls of the atomic bomb victims.

Important buildings near the park

The Peace Park was built in 1955 not far from the hypocenter of the bomb explosion, which is marked by a stone stele . To the east of the park is the Urakami Cathedral from 1914, which was destroyed and reconstructed in 1959, and close to the park is the Atomic Bomb Museum, which exhibits remains of clothing and other relics, such as a stopped clock. Two other buildings nearby are the National Memorial to the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Victims and the Nagasaki City Peace Hall .

Sculpture park

In 1978 Nagasaki designated an area on both sides of the park where monuments or sculptures could be placed as symbols of peace. The following works donated by different countries or partner cities are located in the park area:

See also

Web links

Commons : Park for Peace  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Nagai Takashi : The Bells of Nagasaki: History of the Atomic Bomb. P. 85. Munich 1955
  2. ↑ at-nagasaki.jp : Peace Park. A place of prayers for world peace and the souls of the atomic bomb victims , accessed April 16, 2011
  3. ↑ Walter Giesen et al. (1984): Japan . P. 403. Baedeker. ISBN 0-86145-181-3 . Online on Google Books , accessed April 16, 2011
  4. ↑ peace-nagasaki.go.jp ( Memento of the original from January 5, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF file; 1.94 MB): National Memorial to the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Victims , accessed on April 16, 2011 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.peace-nagasaki.go.jp
  5. ↑ janhana.com ( Memento of the original from July 13, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. : Image of the sculpture "Joy of Life", accessed on April 17, 2011 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.janhana.com

Coordinates: 32 ° 46 ′ 32.1 ″  N , 129 ° 51 ′ 47.2 ″  E