#StolenMemory

This international campaign returns the personal belongings of concentration camp prisoners to their families – more than 80 years after they were confiscated.

Jewelry, souvenir photos, letters – the Nazis took away all their prisoners’ personal possessions in the concentration camps. Some of these “stolen memories” are still stored in the Arolsen Archives today. We launched the #StolenMemory campaign in 2016 to search for the families of victims of Nazi persecution and return their relatives’ personal effects. Volunteers in many different countries are helping us.

About #StolenMemory

In 1963, there were more than 4,700 envelopes containing the personal belongings of former prisoners in our archive. We are responsible for storing them safely before returning them to their rightful owners. So far, almost half of the personal effects in our care have been given back, either to the former owners themselves or to the descendants of their former owners.

#StolenMemory website

Find out more about the #StolenMemory campaign on our award-winning multi-media website. We remember the fates of former prisoners, present a selection of the objects, and share the stories of the items we manage to return and the families who receive them.

#StolenMemory on tour

A traveling exhibition in four converted shipping containers brings the campaign to audiences across Europe.

How to take part in the search

Volunteers help us search online, in the archive, and on the ground ─ how does it work? Our step-by-step guide shows you how to search effectively. By taking part, you are helping to keep the memory of Nazi persecution alive.

#StolenMemory in educational projects

The campaign motivates young people across Europe to research the fates of persecutees from their own countries. Here are some examples of our educational projects.

Online exhibitions and poster exhibitions

#StolenMemory will come to you – as a print-on-demand or online exhibition.

See history brought to life

Animated films, web stories, and video portraits – visit our award-winning #StolenMemory website to discover powerful narratives, fascinating background information, and a wide range of resources.

#StolenMemory in the press (selection)

Article Polskie Radio from March 28, 2025

Article Hessenschau from March 10, 2025

Article in The Times of Israel from June 11, 2024

Article in Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung from May 22, 2024

Article in France 24 from April 14, 2024

Video from WDR from October 6, 2023