Jewish survivor Dennis Urstein explains the importance of learning from the past, which is why he dedicates a lot of his time speaking with young children. He also describes a difficult situation he handled when speaking with a group of young people.

Jewish survivor Rafael Lewin discusses his transfer from the internment camp Drancy, in France, to Auschwitz. The train was delayed once it arrived outside of Auschwitz and Rafael was lucky enough to go to a work camp rather than continue inside the death camp with the families still on the train.

Helen Colin describes the liberation of Bergen Belsen, and how elated she and the other prisoners were to see the British army and receive food rations.

Liberator Morris Marsh, who served as a seargent in the Royal Air Force, says there were far more casualties at the D-Day invasion than was reported to the public, and describes re-enacting the attack for newsreel cameras.

Helen Colin's daughter Muriel explains how their family first discovered the interview her mother gave at the liberation of Bergen-Belsen. Helen says she shares her story so that future generations can learn from it. This is part of the follow-up interview Helen gave to USC Shoah Foundation in June 2016.

Armenian survivor Siranoush Danielan remembers being deported with her family from her home in Marash. Her brother had left previously without them, but they were fortunate to reunite later on when someone recognized their last name at a registry.

Jewish survivor Lotte Kramer discusses the way her poetry has transformed her outlook on life and the Holocaust. Feeling like an outsider in an unfamiliar environment brought up a lot of memories, which were then turned into poems. Her writing has allowed her to open up about her experiences and given her an outlet to share her stories in a very beautiful way.

Eric Frisch describes his experience as a runner in the first Olympic torch relay, which spanned from Greece to Germany, at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Frisch further recalls meeting Jesse Owens forty years after the games. 

Fernand Bybelezer shares his memories of French writer and painter Max Jacob, who he knew when he was a young man.

Ellen Brandt recalls the efforts by the Nazis to hide any evidence of anti-Semitism from the press during the 1936 Olympics in Berlin and the intensified anti-Semitism that came after the games. 

Endre Altmann recalls his experience as a member of the Romanian Olympic fencing team and explains his decision not to participate in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. 

Holocaust survivor Judith Ertsey talks about how she has been treated as an immigrant and a Jew in America, as well as attitudes toward other minority groups.

Jack Bernstein remembers his experience waiting with excitement for liberation soldiers in France in August 1945, and the confusion and frenzy that surrounded their arrival.

Gerda Frieberg describes her reactions to seeing Hitler during the festivities surrounding the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. 

Armenian survivor Jiryar Zorthian explains how Turkish officials became nervous when Armenians began speaking out for their rights.

Ellen Kilston remembers the Nazis’ hiding of all anti-Semitic propaganda during the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. She further explains the role this deception played in shaping foreign perceptions of Jewish life under Hitler.  

Diane Jacobs remembers watching Jesse Owens accept his medals at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin and the admiration she felt for his refusing to salute the Nazi flag. 

USC Shoah Foundation, writer Robin Migdol sits down with Kia Hays project manager of New Dimensions in Testimony.

Highlights of the 2016 Master Teacher program in Budapest. A USC Shoah Foundation’s professional development initiative, Master Teacher (formerly Teaching with Testimony) is a two-year program that incorporates workshops, mentoring, and community building to prepare educators to search for and utilize testimony from the Visual History Archive, as well as other digital learning tools such as IWitness.

Carlos Mendes was the son of Aristides Sousa Mendes, Portuguese diplomat stationed in Bordeaux in the late 1930s who issued tens of thousands of visas to Jewish families, in direct violation of anti-Jewish laws instituted by Portugal’s fascist government at the time. Carlos Mendes reflects on his father’s fundamental willingness to risk his career and life to save persecuted Jews.

Carlos Mendes explains the sadness he feels for his father’s overlooked heroism and the pride he feels for the work his father did.  Aristides de Sousa Mendes was a Portuguese diplomat stationed in Bordeaux in the late 1930s who issued tens of thousands of visas to Jewish families, in direct violation of anti-Jewish laws instituted by Portugal’s fascist government at the time. For this act of resistance, Sousa Mendes faced trials and conviction, leaving him to live out the rest of his life in poverty and disgrace, and his 15 children scattered all over Europe and the U.S.

Esther Dresner expresses the gratitude she feels to Aristides de Sousa Mendes, a man who did the right thing, regardless of the price.  Aristides de Sousa Mendes was a Portuguese diplomat stationed in Bordeaux in the late 1930s who issued tens of thousands of visas to Jewish families, in direct violation of anti-Jewish laws instituted by Portugal’s fascist government at the time. For this act of resistance, Sousa Mendes faced trials and conviction, leaving him to live out the rest of his life in poverty and disgrace, and his 15 children scattered all over Europe and the US.

Jewish survivor Henri Deutsch explains the extent of Aristides de Sousa Mendes’ deep commitment to aiding persecuted Jews.  Aristides de Sousa Mendes was a Portuguese diplomat stationed in Bordeaux in the late 1930s who issued tens of thousands of visas to Jewish families, in direct violation of anti-Jewish laws instituted by Portugal’s fascist government at the time.

Henri Deutsch reflects on the sacrifice that Portuguese diplomat Aristides de Sousa Mendes  made to save the lives of so many Jews during the Holocaust. Aristides de Sousa Mendes was a Portuguese diplomat stationed in Bordeaux in the late 1930s who issued tens of thousands of visas to Jewish families, in direct violation of anti-Jewish laws instituted by Portugal’s fascist government at the time.

Holocaust survivor Gerda Cohn looks back fondly on her childhood school. It was a supportive environment and children even received candy on the first day of school.

In this clip, Esperance Kaligirwa recalls being rounded up by men intent on killing her and her family but were spared by the actions of her neighbors who interceded for them.

This clip is an excerpt of the footage J. Michael Hagopian filmed of Armenian Genocide survivor Abdulla Garabed's funeral, just two weeks after he filmed Garabed's testimony. The first part of the clip is the procession of attendees and the ceremony, with no audio. The second part is a short clip of the funeral ceremony that took place.

Armenian survivor Dirouhi Haigas describes how the Armenians in her town were told to pack very few belongings and leave all their posessions behind in the days leading up to their deportation to the desert of Der Zor. Her father and several other men were hung in the church square.

Jacek Dabrowski remembers visiting Maximilian Kolbe at his monastery before Kolbe was taken prisoner. Dabrowski was taken to Pawiak prison only two weeks after Kolbe was deported from Pawiak to Auschwitz.