July 10th, 2017– As the government began isolating Jews in ghettos and camps, Jews in German-occupied territories could not escape Nazi persecution and eventual deportation, a reality that sent many Jews into hiding. The decision to go into hiding was incredibly dangerous not only for those hiding, but also for

June 20th, 2017– The main function of ghettoization -- physically segregating Jewish citizens from the rest of society -- eventually served as a key step in the deportation of Jews to killing fields and extermination camps during the Final Solution. Prior to the spring of 1942, relatively few Jews were

June 5th, 2017– For Jews who remained in Europe, it became more and more difficult to escape the reach of the Third Reich. With every country they invaded, the Nazis increased efforts to identify Jews in the areas they took over. After the Nazis invaded Poland in 1939, they required

May 25th, 2017– While the Germans increased their restrictions on Jewish citizens in an effort to force them to leave the country, foreign governments continued to show no interest in taking in refugees from Europe. Though national reluctance to aid those in peril would continue throughout the war years, a

May 1st, 2017– By stripping German Jews of their rights and livelihoods, the Nazi government sought to create a nation inhospitable to its Jewish population. In turn, they hoped to force emigration in an attempt to rid Germany of Jews. In response to this increasingly hostile environment, many German Jews

April 17th, 2017– The Nazis continued to pass decrees and regulations throughout the second half of the 1930s. Each new law further excluded Jews from society, while creating an ever-increasingly hostile environment for them. While many Jews hoped to emigrate during this period, quotas and anti-Semitic policies, both in Germany

April 6th, 2017– On Wednesday night, the Museum hosted a preview of one of NOVA's latest documentary films, Holocaust Escape Tunnel for members of the VHM and WCVE followed by a panel discussion. Holocaust Escape Tunnel centers around a group of archeologists who traveled to the Lithuanian city Vilnius to

April 3rd, 2017– Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933. On April 7, 1933, he enacted his first piece of anti-Jewish legislation. From 1933 to 1939, Hitler passed over 400 laws that impacted the rights, opportunities, and lives of Jews in Europe. Within the first few years

March 20th, 2017– After Adolf Hitler took office in 1933, he quickly began implementing the Nazi party’s 25 Point Plan. Part of this plan focused on strengthening Germany’s working class, and in turn, rebuilding the economy. This platform appealed to many Germans who were seeking security after the tumultuous years

March 6th, 2017– Founded in 1920, the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP or Nazis) took its roots from several nationalist right-wing political groups. Their ideology – outlined in the 25 Point Plan – relied heavily on German nationalism and anti-Semitism. By 1921, Adolf Hitler assumed leadership of the NSDAP,