#StolenMemory

#StolenMemory: Exhibition on personal belongings of concentration camp prisoners at the Augustaschacht Memorial

The Arolsen Archives will open the open-air traveling exhibition #StolenMemory in Hasbergen on August 7. The exhibition focuses on the last possessions of concentration camp inmates and the question of how these so-called “personal effects” can still be returned to the victims’ families today. The exhibition is on display in a fold-out shipping container in the parking lot of the Augustaschacht Memorial, Zur Hüggelschlucht 4, 49205 Hasbergen.

“Effekten” are personal items that were confiscated from prisoners by the Nazis upon their arrival at the concentration camps. These often included wedding rings, watches, fountain pens, or wallets containing photos. #StolenMemory is a campaign by the Arolsen Archives to return these personal items to their relatives. Over 1,000 families have already been located since the campaign began in 2016. The exhibition displays images of such “personal effects” and tells the stories of ten victims of Nazi persecution.

The exhibition’s goal: to raise awareness and garner support
Under the heading “Found,” the exhibition highlights personal items that have already been returned. It chronicles the persecution suffered by their former owners and the process of returning these items to their families today. Using their smartphones, visitors can scan QR codes to access video portraits in which the relatives themselves share their stories. Under the heading “Wanted,” the exhibition displays “belongings” that are still awaiting restitution. An important message is therefore that anyone can support the Arolsen Archives in returning these personal effects and embark on their own search for traces of the victims and their families. The archive still holds stolen mementos belonging to some 2,000 people from all over Europe.

The Emotional Value of the Belongings
“Many victims of the Nazis left no personal belongings behind for their families because the Nazis took everything from them,” says Charlotte Meiwes, project manager for #StolenMemory at the Arolsen Archives. The fact that these personal effects have been preserved therefore comes as a surprise to the relatives: “Some of them are learning new information about this period in the lives of their persecuted family members.” That is why it is so important to find the families and return the items to them.

Exhibition and Website
Since August 2020, the #StolenMemory exhibition—now comprising four containers—has been touring Germany and is currently also traveling through Poland and France. The project was made possible by a grant from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. The Arolsen Archives and the traveling exhibitions in Germany are funded by the Federal Foreign Office. Accompanying the exhibition, the website stolenmemory.org offers interesting insights: short, animated films with supplementary web stories tell the stories of individual deportations. These materials were developed specifically for young people and were honored with the Grimme Online Award in the “Knowledge and Education” category in June 2021. The website also offers extensive educational materials available for free download, which can be used by schools and educational institutions at all stops along the traveling exhibition’s route.