Memorial to the Six Million
Also known as: Memorial to the Six Million Martyrs
Why it's listed
Set in Greenwood Cemetery in southwest Atlanta, this open-air memorial is made of four interlocking L-shaped granite walls, seven to thirteen feet tall, laid in uncoursed Stone Mountain granite. Entrances on all four sides lead to a roofless interior where six white torches rise from a black granite coffin holding ashes from the Dachau mass grave. Bronze plaques and stone markers inscribed in English and Hebrew carry memorial messages, including rows of yahrzeit plaques for the families of local survivors. Completed in 1965, it was built by a group of Atlanta Holocaust survivors, Eternal Life-Hemshech, who raised $11,000 through mostly $100 contributions. They wanted a place to say Kaddish for relatives who had no known graves. Architect Benjamin Hirsch, himself a survivor, designed an abstract, unadorned monument that departs from classical memorial traditions. It was Georgia's first Holocaust memorial and is still the site of annual services.
Significance in brief: It was the first Holocaust memorial built in Georgia and remains the largest in the state, created by Atlanta survivors as a place to say Kaddish for family members killed in the Holocaust. It is also presented as an early large-scale architectural Holocaust memorial and an excellent example of modern architecture used for commemoration in Georgia.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 08000351, listed April 21, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1173 Cascade Ave. SW., Atlanta |
|---|---|
| County | Fulton County |
| Listed | April 21, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08000351 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1965 |
| Architect / builder | Hirsch, Benjamin (architect); Besser, Abraham (builder) |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement: International Style |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State, Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still used as a memorial and burial site; memorial services are held each year during Holocaust Memorial Day week in spring and the High Holy Days in fall. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 33.72466, -84.45532 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 08000351.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q134322873
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.