Exhibition bears witness to the Holocaust

Louise Stafford, Director of Learning at the National Holocaust Centre and Museum, tells us about their ambitious and innovative new exhibition, exploring what it means to be a witness to the Holocaust.

The National Holocaust Centre and Museum (NHCM) is a vibrant place of learning and a living memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, profoundly impacting its visitors through award-winning exhibitions, enthusiastic educators and the almost daily presence of Holocaust survivors.



NHCM is at a transformational point in its history, recognising that the presence of survivors cannot continue indefinitely, they have been focused on developing digital resources to plan for the future. Keen to combine these developments with a research project on Photography as Political Practice (in partnership with The University of Nottingham) they applied for a National Lottery Project Grant to create their first ever touring exhibition: The Eye as Witness – Recording the Holocaust.



The exhibition marks the 75th Anniversary year of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps, asking “What does it mean to be a witness?” and questioning the role of photographers during the Holocaust.

“Historic writing carefully balances perpetrator sources with the voices of the victims – we aim to present a more nuanced presentation of photography in relation to the Holocaust. Much of the iconic photography of the Holocaust is not recognised for what it actually is: perpetrator photography! Yet victims have left their own record of events; this exhibition therefore presents the photos taken by the victims themselves [and] gives access to the living testimony of the survivors bearing witness till today.”

The exhibition will present the work of a number of artists – such as a video installation by Lina Selander, considering how memory is recorded and passed on over time – and makes use of innovative technology to engross and engage visitors.

“Engaging with a dynamic VR experience, visitors will step through a photo from the Stroop Report – a commission propaganda piece from Spring 1944 – to learn what the photograph failed to show. Virtually standing within the image, visitors will be able to see the complete scene of destruction, including the NS Propaganda Unit taking the images. They will understand how the photograph was created, considering the motivation of the photographers and whether they should be viewed as agents rather than neutral witnesses.”

Another use of advanced technology is the opportunity for visitors to engage with a life-sized 3D laser image of an Auschwitz or Bergen Belsen survivor – visitors will experience this survivor sharing their story before being able to ask a question and seamlessly hear the answer.

The Eye as Witness – Recording the Holocaust will launch at the Holocaust Exhibition and Learning Centre at The University of Huddersfield in October 2019, before travelling to a variety of other venues across the country including The Peace Museum in Bradford, The National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire and The Djanogly Gallery in Staffordshire.

Top tip?

“The project grants application process is slightly unusual in that if successful at stage 1 the applicant then only has four weeks to complete stage 2 – if working on a project such as a touring exhibition make sure as much of the detail as possible is in place (e.g. with regard to venues) when submitting at stage 1. Having said that we would also advise that museums go for these grants because they offer a fantastic opportunity to work with new partners, innovate and reach new audiences.”

Thinking of applying?