Opening of Schmoe House
－A gallery to communicate the support extended to Hiroshima after the atomic bombing by many people overseas－
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Schmoe House,
an exhibition facility affiliated with the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum located in Eba, Naka-ku, was opened on November 1, 2012.
The name Schmoe House comes from the American, Floyd Schmoe.
Shocked by the sight of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the dropping of the bombs, he started a campaign to build houses for those in Hiroshima who had lost their homes.
Since its construction as a meeting place in 1951, Schmoe House had been used as a base for community activities.
With the construction of the Hiroshima South Road the role of the house as a community center came to an end.
However, in 2012 the house was relocated from a location approximately 40 meters south-east to its current location and preserved there.
It was thus reborn as a display facility to communicate the support received by Hiroshima after the bombing from people all over the world.
The displays include Mr. Schmoe's "Houses for Hiroshima" construction activities, as well as medications offered immediately after the bombing, aid for children who had lost their families, and various other forms of support from overseas.
The exhibition tells us about the goodwill offered by those from other countries as well as the underlying feelings of those who provided support.
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Schmoe House, relocated and opened as an exhibition facility
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On August 6, 1945, the city was razed to the ground by the atomic bomb.
Food, clothing, and other daily commodities were in short supply, there was a lack of housing, and the people of Hiroshima were forced into a life of hardship.
People also suffered from wounds caused by the bombing as well as the sorrow of losing family and friends, leading to feelings of loneliness and despair.
In the midst of such circumstances after the bombing, the people of Hiroshima worked little by little to return to their normal lives.
In addition, much support was provided not only from other areas in Japan but also overseas, and such support became a major source of strength for the people, both practically and emotionally.
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Houses for Hiroshima display corner
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Houses for Hiroshima
The project is kicked off
Mr. Floyd Schmoe lived in Seattle in the United States and taught forestry studies at university.
He named the plan "Houses for Hiroshima", and gathered funds through donations to build the houses.
In July 1949, Mr. Schmoe came to Hiroshima together with Mr. Emery Andrews and two others, carrying with them glass, nails and other construction materials.
Housing in Minami-machi
Mr. Schmoe and his workmates constructed two wooden one-story double-eave row houses in Minami-machi.
They employed one master builder, and with help from Japanese volunteers, started building the "Houses for Hiroshima".
The summer heat was at its peak, but construction proceeded smoothly and the first house was complete.
A hammer used in construction work Donated by: Mr. Yuzo Yamamoto
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Housing construction in Minami-machi Photograph provided by: Association to Pass On Mr. Schmoe's Houses for Hiroshima
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Activities continue
The construction of the Houses for Hiroshima continued, and a house was built at the foot of Ebasarayama every year from 1950 to 1952.
A meeting place for the people in the community (the current Schmoe House) was also built.
A total of 15 buildings (21 homes) were constructed under the Houses for Hiroshima plan.
Large numbers of people of different countries and races cooperated to build the houses, at the same time nurturing a compassion for others, something that had been lost during the war.
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Various forms of support offered to Hiroshima
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Keloid treatment at Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York Photograph provided by: Ms. Ai Yokoyama
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Aid activities immediately after the bombing
Mr. Marcel Juneau, chief representative to Japan of the Red Cross International Committee, negotiated with GHQ to obtain large amounts of medication as aid for Hiroshima.
At the beginning of September, he himself came to Hiroshima together with the medication, and was involved in observation and treatment at aid stations in the city.
Spiritual Adoption program
The Spiritual Adoption program organized private "adoptions" between people overseas and children in Hiroshima who had lost their family, where those overseas would send money to look after their "adopted" child.
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The article written by Norman Cousins in the Saturday Review of Literature, for which he was a main writer, caused a stir, and applications for adoptions came in from people all over America.
In 1950 the first allotment of adoption funds, $2000 (approximately 720,000 yen at the time) arrived in Hiroshima.
After this, the US arm of the Hiroshima Peace Center, which promoted world peace and welfare projects in Hiroshima, became the contact point for the collection of donations.
Travel to America for treatment
Keloids, or swelling up of burn scars, caused not only physical pain but also great emotional suffering.
Treatment for women with keloids spread from Japan to overseas, and in 1955 women traveled to America to receive treatment.
Peace Pilgrimage and World Friendship Center
Ms. Barbara Reynolds organized the Peace Pilgrimage, the aim of which was to have atomic bomb survivors speak about their experiences and call for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
Gatherings and talks were held in various cities throughout the United Stated and Europe.
Further, to expand mutual understanding and friendship and more broadly communicate the actual damage from the atomic bomb to those overseas, the World Friendship Center was established in 1965.
Even today, the Center offers accommodation for peace activists visiting Hiroshima from overseas, and organizes activities to support the atomic bomb survivors.
A place for cross-generational communication
On October 31, 2012, the day before the opening, the opening ceremony was held, attended by the Mayor of Hiroshima, the head of the Eba Federation of Neighborhood Associations, Floyd Schmoe's second son Mr. Wilfred P. Schmoe, and others.
In his commemorative speech, Mr. Wilfred P. Schmoe said "If my father were here, I'm sure he would have said that it is the greatest honor that you have retained Schmoe House. That's because Schmoe House will remain in this location for future generations".
The speech reaffirmed that Schmoe House was a symbol of hope for Floyd Schmoe.
We hope that many people visit Schmoe House, and understand that it is the wishes of each individual that become the force to build a peaceful world.
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Speech by Mr. Wilfred P Schmoe at the opening ceremony
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(Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Curatorial Division)
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