The Wiener Library

Topics

Topics

Introduction

	Childhood under the Swastika This section gives some insights into life of children in Nazi Germany: both ordinary non-Jewish German children at school, in the Hitler Youth, and at home, and the experiences of Jewish children at school and at home, using books, documents and photographs held at the Wiener Library.
	Neumann & Mendel: Mirror of the Time The history of the family-owned company Neumann & Mendel can tell us a lot about the political and economic history of Germany. The story centres around a Jewish family - Dina and Emil Neumann, and their children Ludwig and Liesel Neumann. Founded in the 19th century by Emil Neumann, the German-Jewish Essen textile factory Neumann & Mendel was highly successful until the political climate changed in the 1930s. This section tells the story of the Neumann family using photographs and documents held at The Wiener Library.
	Helping the Survivors The aftermath of the Second World War and the Holocaust confronted the Allies with a refugee problem of hitherto unknown magnitude. Among the many organisations who set out to help the survivors and refugees was the Jewish Relief Unit. Founded in Britain as the operational body of the Central Committee for Relief Abroad, the JRU was active in the Displaced Persons camps and re-emerging communities in the British zone in Germany. An important aim of their work in the Bergen-Belsen DP Camp, as in other projects, was the spiritual rehabilitation of the survivors.
	Kindertransport The term ‘Kindertransport’ (children’s transport) refers to the trainloads of children from National Socialist occupied Europe who were sent to safety in Britain from 1938-1940. After the November Pogrom 1938, there was no doubt about the immediate threat that the Jews in Europe faced. For this reason, the British government decided to accept an unspecified number of child refugees, resulting in 9,354 children leaving behind their homes and families and being sent on the transport. This section explores the experiences of children on the transport and during their life in Britain.
	Researched and written by Sonja Wirwohl Ernest Hecht Graduate Fellow 2009
	Comparative Genocide: The Holocaust and the Rwandan Genocide Comparative genocide studies examine the genocides of human history to determine the similiarities and differences of events, and to increasee knowledge on this crime. This data can be used in the struggle to end future acts of genocide. Despite the post-Holocaust declaration, "Never again," genocide continues to plague the world, killing millions of innocent victims. This topic section examines the Holocaust and the Rwandan Genocide, specifically focusing on the history and development of these historic tradgedies.
	Researched and written by Megan Schmidt Wiener Library Graduate Fellow 2009
	Post-war Trials War crimes trials in the post-war era were turning points in international criminal jurisdiction, creating new judicial structures and defining legal principles such as crimes against humanity. This section investigates trials such as the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, Subsequent Nuremberg Trials and the Eichmann Trial as well as looks at their historical legacy for international jurisprudence.
	Researched and written by Ina Sondermann Wiener Library Graduate Fellow 2010