Exhibition: Humanity after the Holocaust: The Jewish Relief Unit, 1943-1950

This newly curated temporary exhibition at The Wiener Library marks the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Bergen-Belsen. The exhibition focuses on our outstanding collections relating to the post-war relief and rehabilitation work of the Jewish Relief Unit in Bergen-Belsen and elsewhere.

The relatively little-known history of the JRU dates back to 1943, when it was founded by a group of Jewish volunteers to provide aid to Holocaust survivors and refugees as the Nazis went into retreat. Early in 1945 a JRU group was permitted to land in the Netherlands, and the first team reached Germany on 21 June. The JRU was active until the summer of 1950, predominantly in the British zone of liberated Germany.

The exhibition will tell the remarkable story of these volunteers through our rich archival collections, including photograph albums and personal papers.

The exhibition is also accompanied by a unique immersive panorama of the camp at the time of liberation.