Remembered Light
The Museum & Library debuts the extraordinary Remembered Light stained-glass exhibit, a collection of twenty-five art pieces using glass shards collected from bombed-out European cathedrals, synagogues, and chapels during World War II by the late Frederick McDonald. Transend back to the past and witness the stories of this historic era.
About Fredrick McDonald
Frederick Alexander McDonald (1908-2003) served as U.S. Army Chaplain during World War II. As he traveled behind the front lines of the battlefields of Europe, he was dismayed by the destruction of sacred places.
He collected and saved small shards from broken stained-glass windows in these religious sanctuaries, hoping that one day they could serve as testament to the sacrifices made by so many.
“There was glass everywhere and I picked up quite a number of these broken pieces that were deeply smoked by the explosion of the bombs. I put them away and then mailed them home. The shards represented something deep that you ought to remember about this. It’s so often a little thing that can bring back a flood or memories into your head.”
- Frederick McDonald
The Berghof
The Making of the Berghof Piece
Sneak Peek
Below are just a few of the many precious pieces of art included in the Remembered Light collection.
St. John's, Red Lion Square
London, England
Kölner Dom (Cologne Cathedral)
Cologne, Germany
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Coutances
Coutances, France
St. Lorenz
Nuremberg, Germany