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Auschwitz, 1945-1949

Auschwitz Camp

The works of artists like Halina Olomucki and Ella Liebermann-Shiber, both of whom survived the camp, document the unspeakable horrors of Auschwitz.

Cemetery in front of Compiègne Camp, 1941-1942

Compiègne Camp

Nestled south of Paris, the Compiègne Camp was under the control of the German Wehrmacht. The camp held over 54,000 people during its operation between June 1941 and August 1944.

A Kitchen in Drancy Camp Drancy Camp 1 January 1943

Drancy Camp

The inmates of Drancy, the "waiting room for Auschwitz", were almost completely cut off from the outside world. Except for a few permitted hours, prisoners were forbidden to leave the buildings or the yard.

A painting of women in the Gurs concentration camp.

Gurs Camp

Gurs camp housed 21,790 men, women and children, and artistic activity flourished, with exhibitions of drawings and paintings held until the summer of 1942.

Main Gate, Viljampole, Kovno Ghetto, 1956, after a drawing of 1942

Kovno Ghetto

In the Kovno ghetto the Ältestenrat organized cultural events, such as concerts, lectures, literary evenings and art exhibitions.

Wagon Driver Resting on his Wagon in the Lodz Ghetto, Lodz Ghetto 1944

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.

Malines Camp

More than 25,800 people were deported from the Malines camp in Belgium. Among them were artists whose work depicted life in the camp.

Soup Distribution in Mauthausen, 1945

Mauthausen Camp

Mauthausen in Upper Austria was set up after the Anschluss. The first prisoners were interned on 8 August 1938 including the young artist Yehuda Bacon.

Nexon Camp

Artist Karl Schwesig documented daily camp life through drawings while imprisoned at Nexon in 1943, offering a window into the experiences of those who endured there.

The Camp of Noé, Noé Camp, July 1941

Noé Camp

Vichy authorities established Noé camp as a model camp to counter criticism of harsh conditions. Unlike other camps, Noé had wooden fences, open views, greenery, and improved housing, all ultimately illusory.

Saint-Cyprien Camp

In February 1939, the first inmates arrived at the Saint-Cyprien camp. With little more than a fence around them, the camp's artists painted their fellow inmates half-naked. In October 1940, a storm destroyed most of the camp.

Five Inmates on a Bench, Saint-Sulpice-la-Pointe Camp July 1941

Saint-Sulpice-la-Pointe Camp

In the Saint-Sulpice-la-Pointe camp, the inmates organised cultural activities, a "little university" to which each prisoner contributed. Most of them were deported to Auschwitz and Buchenwald.

A Woman Inmate in a Striped Uniform, in the Camp

Stutthof Camp

The artist Esther Lurie drew this woman in a striped uniform in the Stutthof camp. She drew portraits of several fellow inmates and kept them hidden until liberation.

Cellist, Terezin Ghetto 1944

Terezin Ghetto

The Terezin ghetto inmates included many scholars, artists and writers, who organized intensive cultural activities - orchestras, opera, theatre, light entertainment and satire.

Two Women on a Bed, 1945

Warsaw Ghetto

Many artists, musicians, writers and intellectuals were trapped in the Warsaw Ghetto and who fought in the uprising from which only a few escaped.