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The Toy Car Set

Artifacts Unpacked Video Series

The day before his seventh birthday, Nazis ransacked Peter Ney’s home in Nuremberg, Germany. It was during Kristallnacht, a wave of anti-Jewish violence and destruction. They destroyed many of the family’s belongings, but Peter’s birthday gift, a model of the “Autobahn” [highway] was not damaged. 

He had to leave the beloved toy behind when he fled Nazi Germany, but was reunited with it more than a year later.

About the Artifacts

Artifacts shown in the video were donated to the Museum by Peter Ney. Learn more about the toy.