Artifacts Unpacked

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 Motorboat
Under the cover of darkness, this motorboat ferried hundreds of Jews from Denmark to safety in neutral Sweden.
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 Paint Roller
The Nazis persecuted Franz Wohlfahrt and his family for being Jehovah’s Witnesses. A tool of his trade as a painter played a role in his survival.
The Wicker Chair
Even while hiding in German-occupied Amsterdam, Louise Lawrence-Israëls’s parents found a way to celebrate her second birthday, surprising her with a wicker chair.
The Flag Dress
Before immigrating to the United States, Holocaust survivor Margret Hantman wore an American flag costume for a performance in a displaced persons camp.
The Evening Gown
Lilly Joseph wore this dress to a celebration after she and other passengers aboard the MS St. Louis learned they would not be forced to return to Nazi Germany.
The Star Badge
As a teenager, Fritz Gluckstein was forced to start wearing a yellow Star of David badge in Nazi Berlin. It was a measure designed to segregate and humiliate Jews.
The Girl Scout Sash
The Holocaust had taken a heavy toll on Ruth Hendel’s family and on her childhood. So when they arrived in the United States in 1944, nine-year-old Ruth embraced going to school and joining the Girl Scouts.
The Uniform and the Jacket
Otto Feuer’s prisoner clothing helps tell his story of being persecuted for being Jewish. The garments also speak to his resilience after liberation.
The Teenager’s Paintings
While living in hiding in Nazi-occupied France, Simon Jeruchim turned to art to provide a respite from his loneliness.

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