Digital simulations at sites of holocaust memory

Digital simulations of Holocaust subjects are steadily being incorporated into sites of memory. Such simulations generally seek to complement existing memorial infrastructures, but their esthetic and algorithmic features pose serious questions. This paper addresses those questions by detailing the spurs to simulation at sites of memory, the uses to which simulations have been put, and the hazards to which they are subject. Spurs to simulation include the deterioration of structures and the displacement of living witnesses. Uses of simulation include exploration, interaction, and reenactment of Holocaust scenes. Abuses of simulation include esthetic distortion, synthetic survivors, and supersession of historical testimonies.