The Łódź Ghetto Model
While forced to live and work in the Łódź ghetto in German-occupied Poland, Leon Jacobson painstakingly created this model of its sealed borders, streets, factories, and other landmarks.
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Each artifact in our collection has a story to tell. The Artifacts Unpacked video series takes you behind the scenes to learn about the objects the Museum protects and how they keep alive the memory and experiences of victims and witnesses of the Holocaust.
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The ID Tag
On a ship bound for New York, a 12-year-old German Jewish refugee wore an ID badge. It reads, in English and in French: “My name is Susie Hilsenrath. I am sailing for the United States …”
The Accordion
Hilde Anker could only take a few items when she fled Nazi Germany in June 1939. The 13-year-old made room for her accordion.
The Suitcase
As a young child, Elisabeth Blind kept this small suitcase packed and ready to move to their next hiding place in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam.
The Clover Necklace
After Nazi Germany occupied Budapest, Erika Taubner and her parents buried their prized possessions in the basement of their apartment building in Budapest, including this four-leaf clover necklace.
The Love Letters
Holocaust survivor Fernande “Danielle” Halerie and David Snegg kept their romance alive by writing dozens of letters toward the end of World War II. Their correspondence also documents their experiences while Danielle anxiously waited to learn the fate of her family.
The Toy Car Set
For his seventh birthday, Peter Ney’s parents gave him this car set. It was the day after Kristallnacht—their home had been ransacked, but Peter’s gift was undamaged.
The Steamer Trunk
The Berg family packed this trunk to escape Nazi Germany for Kenya in 1939 and again in 1947 when they immigrated to the United States.
The Diary
In a detailed diary, 13-year-old Hans Vogel described his family’s struggle to immigrate to the U.S. after fleeing Nazi Germany.
The Motorboat
Under the cover of darkness, this motorboat ferried hundreds of Jews from Denmark to safety in neutral Sweden.
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