Survivor Testimonies
In their own words: Survivor Testimonies
The MHM has more than 1,300 video testimonies from Melbourne Holocaust survivors, as well as over 200 audio testimonies in its collection. These provide eyewitness accounts of the atrocities committed during the Holocaust, as well as glimpses into the vibrancy of pre-war Jewish life in Europe.
This significant collection is widely used by researchers and students of oral history, the Holocaust and a variety of other disciplines.
Survivor Testimony Online Experiences
We have created a variety of online experiences featuring short-form testimony as well as curated extracts from testimony.
Search the collection
The database listing of testimonies is now accessible through MHM Collections online, and testimonies can be viewed by registered users on request. Testimonies can be searched by name as well as by locations during the war. Our next challenge is to index the collection to make it even more accessible for researchers.
The Phillip Maisel Testimonies Project
The testimonies’ project began in the 1980s as the Melbourne Oral History Project, established by Sandra Cowan and Jenny Wajsenberg and later co-ordinated by the late Anne Bernhaut. They conducted over 200 audio recordings of Holocaust survivors.
In the early 1990s, with the purchase of a video camera, the Video Testimonies’ Project was launched. Holocaust survivor Phillip Maisel began volunteering and immediately recognised the enormity of the challenge, given the passage of time and the ageing of survivors. He made it his passion and goal to interview as many survivors as possible. He has dedicated himself tirelessly to the task. The many testimonies collected are a testament to his energy and perseverance.
Phillip was awarded an OAM in recognition of his efforts. More recently he has turned his focus to the ongoing challenge of digitising the collection and has taught himself how to work in a digital environment.
If you would like to give your testimony or know of someone who is interested in giving a testimony, register your interest at the link below.
