The violin of a Holocaust victim, saved through a courageous act of friendship and remembrance, is now on display at the Museum.
In 1943, Jewish violinist Fanny Hecht asked her friend, neighbour and fellow violinist Helena Visser to save her violin if she was taken during the Holocaust.
Visser did just that, rescuing the violin from the Hechts’ apartment after the family was arrested by the Nazis. In the decades since, her descendants have searched for any surviving relatives of Fanny, hoping to return the violin.
Unable to locate any after years of searching, they eventually donated the instrument to Violins of Hope, an organization that restores violins and other instruments that belonged to Jewish musicians.
This violin is a reminder of those who were taken and of our shared responsibility to fight antisemitism and all forms of hate.
You can view the Hecht violin in the Examining the Holocaust gallery on Level 4 until March 12, 2023.
