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The Museum’s Collections

Artifacts Unpacked

Every Artifact Has a Story to Tell

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 Camera

    While on the run from the Nazis, Ivo Herlinger used his camera to capture pictures of his family’s hidden life.

  • The Velvet Dress

    Learn the fate of St. Louis passenger Freya Maier and her dress that symbolized the hope she had for a new life.

  • A POW's Diary

    In a secret diary, World War II POW Stephen Schweitzer documented what he and other American soldiers endured after capture by Nazi Germany.

  • The Headphones

    Not only did the landmark trial of Nazi leaders in Nuremberg, Germany, reshape the legal landscape, it also pioneered cutting-edge technology.

  • A miniature model of the Łódź Ghetto

    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.

  • An old ID tag

    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 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.

  • A vintage accordion

    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 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.

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