Many survivors and their families now live or have lived in Yorkshire. These include people who, during the Second World War, were refugees, in hiding, in ghettos, or in concentration and death camps, as well as those who escaped on the Kindertransport. Their stories are some of the most important accounts of one of the most significant events of the 20th century, yet at present have no permanent home. This new project will provide a space for them to be preserved, interpreted and explored, and will create a lasting and permanent legacy for survivors and their families.

Thanks to support from National Lottery players, the project will deliver a new Holocaust Heritage and Learning Centre, set to attract at least 20,000 annual visitors. The physical heritage of the survivors – testimonies, literature, artefacts and evidence of Nazi persecution - will be secured in perpetuity, and explained and interpreted with new displays and exhibitions.

Creating a permanent legacy

The centre will bring alive the legacy of Holocaust survivors in Yorkshire. It will cover how it impacted not only on survivors but on their second and third generations - sons, daughters and their children. A vital role of the centre will be to allow these subsequent generations to continue to learn about the Holocaust and why and how it happened.

[quote=Lilian Black, HSFA Chair]“Thank you everybody for making this a reality – it is an expression of our faith in humanity and that good will prevail ultimately.”[/quote]

Lilian Black, HSFA Chair, said: “The HSFA is delighted with the decision by HLF to support the establishment of a permanent Holocaust Learning Centre for the North of England. The legacy of the Holocaust survivors in Yorkshire is now secure and will be made available to pupils, students and the wider community for teaching and learning. There has never been a more important time for us all to work together to combat all forms of persecution – our membership knows only too well where discrimination leads and it is their dearest wish to make sure our past is not our future.

"The breadth of support we have received has been amazing, ranging from individuals, companies, charitable trusts and of course our partners and the University of Huddersfield. Thank you everybody for making this a reality – it is an expression of our faith in humanity and that good will prevail ultimately."

Fiona Spiers, Head of HLF Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “Holocaust survivors in Yorkshire bear a living witness to some of the most significant and horrific moments of the 20th century. We are delighted that National Lottery players are able to support the creation of this centre, to provide a permanent legacy for survivors, as well as a space for people to reflect on these events and learn from them.”