The Warsaw Ghetto Museum is a historical museum in Warsaw currently under construction in the historic complex of the former Bersohn and Bauman Children’s Hospital. Set up in one of the most important surviving buildings of the Warsaw Ghetto, it will focus on the story of Europe’s largest ghetto and its inhabitants’ life and death. In order to tell their complete story, it will reach out to voices which we rarely hear: those of children, women, refugees and deportees, and other groups who were marginalised in the overall history of the ghetto. My lecture will discuss how we plan to achieve this and how the new Museum will fit in the memory landscape of today’s Warsaw.
Dr hab. Katarzyna Person is a historian of the Holocaust and Director of the Warsaw Ghetto Museum. She holds a PhD from the University of London and has received among others fellowships and grants from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Center for Jewish History in NYC, Yad Vashem, Mémorial de la Shoah in Paris, Wiener Wiesenthal Institut für Holocaust-Studien in Vienna. She also held the The Workers Circle/Dr. Emanuel Patt Visiting Professorship in YIVO Institute For Jewish Research in NYC. Katarzyna Person is the author of Assimilated Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto 1940-1943 (Syracuse University Press, 2014), Warsaw Ghetto Police: The Jewish Order Service during the Nazi Occupation (Cornell University Press in association with United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2021), Przemysłowa Concentration Camp. The Camp. The Children. The Trials (with Johannes-Dieter Steinert; Palgrave Macmillan 2023), and Polnische Juden in der amerikanischen und der britischen Besatzungszone Deutschlands, 1945–1948 (Harrassowitz Verlag, 2023). Her most recent book is The Hour of Revenge: Holocaust Survivors and Their Search for Revenge and Retribution (Toronto University Press, 2025) She headed the Full Edition of the Ringelblum Archive publication project at the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw for which she was awarded the 2024 Dan David Prize.
Join us for an after dark tour of ‘Portraits of Survival’.
This series of intimate portraits by Anita Lester honours 16 Holocaust survivors from Melbourne, whose lives were rebuilt through family, community and culture. Through these paintings, their faces and stories embody resilience, vitality, and the ongoing responsibility to remember. This exhibition invites visitors to encounter these survivors not just as subjects of history, but living witnesses.
Anita Lester is a Melbourne-based multidisciplinary artist working across painting, film, and music. Her practice has been presented internationally in galleries, festivals, and publications. With a background in illustration and composition, she develops projects that merge visual storytelling with cultural and poetic narratives, exploring themes of myth and memory.
An exhibition by Anita Lester in partnership with the Melbourne Holocaust Museum
EXHIBITION PRODUCED BY
THIS EXHIBITION WAS MADE POSSIBLE WITH SINCERE APPRECIATION TO OUR PARTNERS
WITH HEARTFELT THANKS TO THE SURVIVORS AND THEIR FAMILIES FOR SHARING THEIR STORIES
Nina Bassat AM
Thomas (Tommy) Moses Beck
Ester Braitberg
Sonja Cowan
Wolf Deane
Elka Ekstein
Sally Felzen
Abram Goldberg OAM
Dita Gould
Ken Hamer
Berni Hamersfeld
Luba Olenski
Alex (Sany) Heimler
Vivienne Spiegel
Magda Steiner
Celina Widawski
MELBOURNE HOLOCAUST MUSEUM TEAM
Ellen Bradley
Dr Steve Cooke
Dr Breann Fallon
Dr Daniel Haumschild
Alice McInnes
Tegan Thompson
CompNow
Space Arrangers
Studio Tweed
Synthesis Design+Build
ANITA LESTER TEAM
Ben Gibson and Skye Jefferys at Gallery Jones
Goldberg Family
Dena Lester
James McPherson
Melbourne Studio of Art
Gideon Preiss
Alan and Sandra Preiss
Join us for a FutureGen event: Nolan at Night, an after-hours viewing of Aftershocks: Nolan and the Holocaust an exhibition showcasing the iconic Australian artist Sidney Nolan as he came to terms with the events of the Holocaust. This intimate event offers a unique opportunity to discover his evocative depictions of the human condition, historical narratives and the nature of memory through rare pieces. Engage with curators and immerse yourself in the stories behind each artwork on display in the Alter Family Special Exhibition Gallery. Don’t miss this unforgettable evening to experience Sidney Nolan’s art in a new light at Nolan at Night.
We’re teaming up with our neighbours at Copycat to bring you the ultimate night out. Start your evening with Nolan at Night at the Melbourne Holocaust Museum, then head around the block to Copycat for a post exhibition wind down and enjoy a complimentary glass of wine when you spend $15 or more.
Please collect your voucher on the night before attending the exhibition. The offer is valid for house wine only. Please note, Copycat’s kitchen closes at 9pm.
Exhibition produced by:
Research and Curation: Katharine Cousins with grateful assistance from Roslyn Sugarman, Emeritus Professor Konrad Kwiet & Professor Avril Alba.
This exhibition was made possible with sincere appreciation to our partners:
With additional thanks to our Sydney Jewish Museum donors and lenders:
This exhibition follows the Museum’s 2022 exhibition ‘Shaken to His Core: The Untold Story of Nolan’s Auschwitz’, produced in collaboration with ‘Nolan’s Africa’ author, Andrew Turley. After its success in Sydney and with the acquisition of some 65 artworks from Nolan’s Holocaust series, the Sydney Jewish Museum is proud to present this exhibition featuring new insights and research into our Sidney Nolan Holocaust collection.
Image | Australian artist Sidney Nolan, taken by Albert Tucker. National Library of Victoria.
Sharing stories, memories and wisdom is an important part of connecting generations. Join us for a two-part session that uncovers storytelling between the generations through a museum visit, interactive workshop, and family activity. Perfect for grandparents, parents or caregivers seeking a meaningful and interactive family activity this winter.
Please note this exhibition is suitable for ages 10 and up.
Image | Courtesy of Mel Desa
Join us for a FutureGen event: Nolan at Night, an after-hours viewing of Aftershocks: Nolan and the Holocaust an exhibition showcasing the iconic Australian artist Sidney Nolan as he came to terms with the events of the Holocaust. This intimate event offers a unique opportunity to discover his evocative depictions of the human condition, historical narratives and the nature of memory through rare pieces. Engage with curators and immerse yourself in the stories behind each artwork on display in the Alter Family Special Exhibition Gallery. Don’t miss this unforgettable evening to experience Sidney Nolan’s art in a new light at Nolan at Night.
Exhibition produced by:
Research and Curation: Katharine Cousins with grateful assistance from Roslyn Sugarman, Emeritus Professor Konrad Kwiet & Professor Avril Alba.
This exhibition was made possible with sincere appreciation to our partners:
With additional thanks to our Sydney Jewish Museum donors and lenders:
This exhibition follows the Museum’s 2022 exhibition ‘Shaken to His Core: The Untold Story of Nolan’s Auschwitz’, produced in collaboration with ‘Nolan’s Africa’ author, Andrew Turley. After its success in Sydney and with the acquisition of some 65 artworks from Nolan’s Holocaust series, the Sydney Jewish Museum is proud to present this exhibition featuring new insights and research into our Sidney Nolan Holocaust collection.
Image | Australian artist Sidney Nolan, taken by Albert Tucker. National Library of Victoria.
Join us for Nolan at Night, an after-hours viewing of Aftershocks: Nolan and the Holocaust an exhibition showcasing the iconic Australian artist Sidney Nolan as he came to terms with the events of the Holocaust. This intimate event offers a unique opportunity to discover his evocative depictions of the human condition, historical narratives and the nature of memory through rare pieces. Engage with curators and immerse yourself in the stories behind each artwork. Don’t miss this unforgettable evening to experience Sidney Nolan’s art in a new light at Nolan at Night.
Exhibition produced by:
Research and Curation: Katharine Cousins with grateful assistance from Roslyn Sugarman, Emeritus Professor Konrad Kwiet & Professor Avril Alba.
This exhibition was made possible with sincere appreciation to our partners:
With additional thanks to our Sydney Jewish Museum donors and lenders:
This exhibition follows the Museum’s 2022 exhibition ‘Shaken to His Core: The Untold Story of Nolan’s Auschwitz’, produced in collaboration with ‘Nolan’s Africa’ author, Andrew Turley. After its success in Sydney and with the acquisition of some 65 artworks from Nolan’s Holocaust series, the Sydney Jewish Museum is proud to present this exhibition featuring new insights and research into our Sidney Nolan Holocaust collection.
Image | Australian artist Sidney Nolan, taken by Albert Tucker. National Library of Victoria.
Join us for a Future Gen event: Nolan at Night, an after-hours viewing of Aftershocks: Nolan and the Holocaust an exhibition showcasing the iconic Australian artist Sidney Nolan as he came to terms with the events of the Holocaust. This intimate event offers a unique opportunity to discover his evocative depictions of the human condition, historical narratives and the nature of memory through rare pieces. Engage with curators and immerse yourself in the stories behind each artwork on display in the Alter Family Special Exhibition Gallery. Don’t miss this unforgettable evening to experience Sidney Nolan’s art in a new light at Nolan at Night.
Exhibition produced by:
Research and Curation: Katharine Cousins with grateful assistance from Roslyn Sugarman, Emeritus Professor Konrad Kwiet & Professor Avril Alba.
This exhibition was made possible with sincere appreciation to our partners:
With additional thanks to our Sydney Jewish Museum donors and lenders:
This exhibition follows the Museum’s 2022 exhibition ‘Shaken to His Core: The Untold Story of Nolan’s Auschwitz’, produced in collaboration with ‘Nolan’s Africa’ author, Andrew Turley. After its success in Sydney and with the acquisition of some 65 artworks from Nolan’s Holocaust series, the Sydney Jewish Museum is proud to present this exhibition featuring new insights and research into our Sidney Nolan Holocaust collection.
Image | Australian artist Sidney Nolan, taken by Albert Tucker. National Library of Victoria.
Join a MHM expert for a tour of Underground: The Hidden Archive of the Warsaw Ghetto. Explore the exhibition with one of our expert team, hear about the process of bringing these rare artefacts to Melbourne and the stories behind this collection.
On display for the first time outside of Europe, Underground exhibits rare artefacts from the hidden archive of the Warsaw Ghetto. This archive was led by historian Emanuel Ringelblum who initiated an unprecedented campaign to collect material in the ghetto—the collection today known as the Ringelblum Archive. This collective of academics, writers, and activists working secretly in the first attempt to document the German-initiated mass murder of European Jews as it was happening. The exhibition brings home to the viewer the act of resistance that the underground archive of the Warsaw Ghetto constituted—a never-ending, arduous, harrowing but ultimately successful attempt to write the story of the Holocaust from the perspective of its victims.
Please select a date
Underground: The Hidden Archive of the Warsaw Ghetto is presented in partnership with the Jewish Historical Institute, Poland, the Association of the Jewish Historical Institute of Poland, and the Munich Documentation Center for the History of National Socialism, Germany.
Exhibition Sponsors
The Melbourne Holocaust Museum would like to thank our exhibition sponsors
Programming Sponsors
The Melbourne Holocaust Museum would like to thank our programming sponsors
Join a MHM expert for a tour of Underground: The Hidden Archive of the Warsaw Ghetto. Explore the exhibition with one of our expert team, hear about the process of bringing these rare artefacts to Melbourne and the stories behind this collection.
On display for the first time outside of Europe, Underground exhibits rare artefacts from the hidden archive of the Warsaw Ghetto. This archive was led by historian Emanuel Ringelblum who initiated an unprecedented campaign to collect material in the ghetto—the collection today known as the Ringelblum Archive. This collective of academics, writers, and activists working secretly in the first attempt to document the German-initiated mass murder of European Jews as it was happening. The exhibition brings home to the viewer the act of resistance that the underground archive of the Warsaw Ghetto constituted—a never-ending, arduous, harrowing but ultimately successful attempt to write the story of the Holocaust from the perspective of its victims.
Please select a date
Underground: The Hidden Archive of the Warsaw Ghetto is presented in partnership with the Jewish Historical Institute, Poland, the Association of the Jewish Historical Institute of Poland, and the Munich Documentation Center for the History of National Socialism, Germany.
Exhibition Sponsors
The Melbourne Holocaust Museum would like to thank our exhibition sponsors
Programming Sponsors
The Melbourne Holocaust Museum would like to thank our programming sponsors
