Holocaust survivor Erika Fromm describes the extreme conditions at the polls during the 1933 federal election in Germany, the first election in which she was old enough to vote.

Holocaust survivor Victor Fish recalls being forced to vote for the plebiscite that would decide whether or not Poland was to join the Soviet Union.

Holocaust survivor Peter Wagner remembers the results of the 1932 presidential election, in which a very small minority of his elementary school classmates claimed that their parents voted for Hitler.

Holocaust survivor Manfred Steinfeld explains the fear that drove German Jews to vote for Hitler in the 1935 presidential election.

Holocaust survivor Gloria Lachman remembers Nazi soldiers appearing at her house and physically forcing her grandmother to vote for Hitler, an experience that caused her to deeply value the right to vote.

Helmut discusses how grateful he is for his life in America, particularly because of his ability to obtain food. He also notes his amazement at how people from different economic classes interact towards one another with respect. 

Andrew expresses his gratitude to the interviewers and the importance of living in the present while acknowledging the tragedies of the past. 

Robert describes his gratitude for America. He focuses on the meaning of freedom and opportunity as well as what citizenship means to him. 

English translation: “First, I would like to thank Mr. Steven Spielberg for the brilliant idea he had to create the Shoah Foundation so that all the cruelty committed by the Nazis is never forgotten. I hope that all that we spoke about here, and all that is told about the Shoah, be just a small grain of sand in the vast mountain that should be created (formed) for the much-desired  peace in the world. And all that took place in Germany and in Europe should never happen again. I would also like to say that the world should prevent Nazi cruelty from returning with all its might.

English translation: “As steel is forged by punches so is our personality. Punches harden and teach us to fight, to continue to fight, to meet challenges, to find new ones and overcome them.  I think that my message in this interview is that such is life. It means to overcome and to forge ahead. Punches can come from where we least expect and we must not fall down—if we do, we must get up. Not all people are bad. The Polish people were not all Antisemitic. Many were good people. And what I have to say to people is to be aware and to use reason.

English Translation: “Always remember what happened. Don't ever forget it, even if it starts becoming just part of history. Don't ever forget and, hopefully, that it will never happen again. Even though the world sees that it is not happening against the Jews, Genocide is still taking place—as in Serbia, in Rwanda. The world does not learn as seen with the recent rebirth of Nazism with the skinheads in Germany. Hopefully, there won't be people denying the Holocaust and people claiming that the existence of gas chambers in Auschwitz- Birkenau was invented by the Jews.

English Translation: “If I made the decision to speak is because I think -- not just for me since it is very difficult [to speak] and I thought about it but not for long-- because I believe that like me, all those who went through the Holocaust should not remain silent. We must speak for the sake of future generations and to prevent this from happening again. And we are not so far from it because, lately, skinheads [Neo-Nazis] are lifting their heads. It is also being said that what we are telling is happening only in the movies, such as in Schindler's List.

English Translation: “The great thing is that all this violence did not take everything away from us because we still have life—a lot of knowledge. At times we learn to survive when surrounded by death. And our greatest contribution is to tell all people, no matter where in the world, that war is no good. In all wars it is always a question of business, of power, of crushing the weaker, the helpless. It is for them that I wish that no family, no people or any other town should consider weapons as the only option. Rather, the option to live is our word, our work.

English Translation: “Yes, it was very difficult to carry on with my life after my husband’s death and after my son disappeared. But, I must say that I never lost my will to live even after having suffered so much, having lived through a war as I did. However, to see myself now surrounded with so much love, my daughter, my son-in-law and my two granddaughters, I never feel down. I have always been willing to help others not to feel left out.

“Generation Peace” shares the efforts of USC Shoah Foundation and Aegis Trust to teach Rwandan students today about the consequences of genocide and the importance of peacebuilding through survivor testimony.

This short documentary tells the remarkable story of Grace Uwamahoro. She was 10 years during the genocide in Rwanda, yet she made a life-changing decision to save an infant destined to become a victim of genocide. Told in Grace's own words 20 years later, this story is a testament to love in the face of deadly consequences.

This short documentary tells the story of Jean-Marie Vianney Gisagara, who was only 27 years old when he became mayor of Nyanza, Rwanda. When Rwanda's president was killed and the new government issued a kill order on all those of Tutsi heritage, Gisagara actively resisted the command, making himself a target. Witnesses recall his story via a tour of the town he so courageously defended.

Samuel describes how the wearing of the yellow star was enforced in his town of Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. 

A panel discussion with Verena Buser, PhD (Alice Salomon University); Martin Dean, PhD (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum); Andrea Rudorff, PhD (Institut für Zeitgeschichte); and Sari J. Siegel, Doctoral Candidate (University of Southern California). 

100 Days to Inspire Respect Alicia describes when her house was attacked. She recognizes one of the attackers, and she makes a speech to him that causes him to leave.  

Helen describes how she established a school in the Radomsko Ghetto for young ghetto inhabitants. She introduced her students to “Gone With the Wind” because they longed for a story to take their minds off their harsh surroundings.