Since 1984, Melbourne’s Holocaust survivors and their families have donated items of historical significance and research value which stand as proof of the lives and experiences of Jewish people during the Holocaust.

Our Archival Collection contains over 12,000 original historical items including documents, photographs, letters, and objects.

The Testimonies Collection presents the oral histories and recollections of Melbourne’s survivors.

Many collection items can be viewed online.

The Melbourne Holocaust Museum’s Archival Collection is named in honour of Ursula Flicker, Holocaust survivor, and former museum Archivist.

With over 12,000 original historical objects, the collection is unique in the world through its connection to Melbourne’s survivor community. It contains material evidence of their lives and experiences, as well as those of murdered family and friends. The collection continues to grow with new donations, as survivors and their descendants recognise the importance of public access to these items.

Items are carefully documented, digitised, and kept in preservation housings and storage. We invite you to explore our collection online and research individual experiences of those who endured Nazism and the Holocaust.

Recording and preserving the experiences of Holocaust survivors was the key motivator of Phillip Maisel OAM z”l, former Director of the Testimonies Project. Phillip, a survivor of the Vilna Ghetto and labour camps, dedicated decades to recording over a thousand survivor testimonies.

This important collection contributes to analysis of Holocaust from personal perspectives. Most of these testimonies are from survivors who sought refuge in Melbourne. We continue to record survivor testimonies.

Today, our testimony collection is named in honour of Phillip, and includes 1300 video and 200 audio testimonies, available by request through the online portal.

If you or someone you know is interested in recording a testimony at MHM, please enquire here.

Please note: The MHM does not collect independently recorded survivor interviews or films and other audiovisual productions, including commercial or independent films, or radio or television interviews in part or whole. We do encourage copyright owners to put these materials on YouTube or a similar platform for worldwide access.

Explore Testimonies

Request Testimonies 

Whether you’re at home, in the classroom or at the library, you can engage in high-quality Holocaust education via our online exhibitions.

From museum virtual tours to survivor stories, we’re using our accessible online platform to spread greater education and understanding of the Holocaust to all.