Holocaust

This collection covers the history and experiences of Jews and other victims of the Holocaust, from the rise of the Third Reich in the early 1930s to the end of World War II. It also covers the aftermath of the Holocaust and the effect it has had on victims and their families until the present day.

What's special about the Holocaust Collection?

This collection includes a range of publications that explore the background, origins and formation of Holocaust policy, analytical works which provide a historical, political, philosophical and religious perspective, and books on the art, literature and music that was influenced by the events of the Holocaust. A particular strength of the collection is the range of personal accounts written by survivors and their children, particularly those living in Victoria.

Officially known as the Raoul Wallenberg Holocaust Collection, it was named after a diplomat from a prominent Swedish family. In 1944, the Swedish government chose Raoul Wallenberg to go to Hungary to save the Hungarian Jews from Hitler's ‘Final Solution’. Arriving in Budapest in mid 1944, he saved at least 100 000 Jews and many Christian partisans from Hitler’s concentration camps before he was arrested by Russian troops in 1945.

This collection was established at the State Library of Victoria with the support of the Raoul Wallenberg Unit of the B’nai Brith. This unit was founded in 1985 as both a tribute to Raoul Wallenberg’s extraordinary action and to raise community awareness of racism.

How do I view material in this collection?

A selection of items from this collection is available in the Redmond Barry Reading Room.