Welcome to Art and the Holocaust
Art confronts Atrocity. Resilience amidst darkness. This resource is for those teaching and learning about the Holocaust.
We explore the profound intersection of art and the Holocaust and examine the works created by victims, witnesses, and responders during this horrific period in history.
We invite you to:
- Discover powerful and moving artworks created by victims of the Holocaust.
- Learn the stories behind the art and the artists.
- Contemplate the enduring power of art in the face of tragedy.
Embark on a journey of understanding and remembrance.
For an introduction to the art and the Holocaust, read the introductory essay from the learn section.
Karl Schwesig
Karl Schwesig (1898–1955) was interned in several camps throughout the war and in each of them he would sketch, often using highly critical caricature.
Lodz Ghetto
Jews had developed a rich cultural and educational life in the Lodz ghetto. The community included musicians, artists and writers and two Jewish daily newspapers, one in Polish and one in Yiddish.
Esther Lurie
The artworks of Esther Lurie (1913-1998) were confiscated and she was imprisoned in the Kovno ghetto. There she recorded the ghetto life in drawings and writing.
Terezin Ghetto
The Terezin ghetto inmates included many scholars, artists and writers, who organized intensive cultural activities - orchestras, opera, theatre, light entertainment and satire.
Camps in France
Transit camps and concentration camps in France held Jews, Germans, Austrians, Russians, French, and others designated as "undesirables" by the Nazi occupied and unoccupied Vichy regimes.
Leo Haas
Czech artist Leo Haas (1901–1983) risked his life to record the atrocities in Terezin. He documented many aspects of ghetto life through his painting.
Visual Art in the Holocaust
Many artistic and cultural fields flourished in the ghettos and camps. Concerts were performed, plays were written and produced and lectures given on a variety of topics. These events are reflected in the paintings and drawings.
Karel Fleischmann
Medical doctor Karel Fleischmann (1897-1944) also studied painting and drawing. In his many paintings he documented the cruel reality of life in the Terezin ghetto.