The Holocaust: Captured in a Flood of Photographic Evidence
The Holocaust, a genocide during World War II, was extensively documented through photography, providing a unique window into one of history’s darkest chapters. The proliferation of cameras in the 1930s and 1940s enabled ordinary people and Nazi officials to record Germany’s persecution of Jews, Roma, Sinti, and euthanasia victims. Today, an international research project is working to collect and publish these images, shedding new light on the lives of those who perished during the Holocaust.
The #LastSeen project aims to gather every available image of Nazi mass deportations between 1938 and 1945, with a focus on Holocaust victims. These images are often the last to be taken of individuals before their deportation and tragic demise. To date, researchers have collected 36 series containing over 420 images, with new discoveries constantly emerging.
Recent additions to the #LastSeen archive include never-before-seen photographs of the Nazi deportations in Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland), taken from a victim’s perspective. The images, documenting dozens of Jewish victims, provide a rare glimpse of the trauma and desperation endured by those about to be deported.
Another new find is the Fulda series, which depicts a snowstorm-shrouded Nazi deportation on December 9, 1941. Prior to this discovery, only three photographs of the event were known. The two newly discovered images were taken by a non-Jewish neighbor of the Gottlieb family, Arthur Weissbach, who used his camera to secretly document the Nazi atrocities. These photographs will be published on Holocaust Remembrance Day 2025.
To identify the victims in these photographs, researchers conduct exhaustive research with the help of local researchers, descendants of survivors, and families. Artificial intelligence may also assist in the identification process in the future. Family members often recognize their loved ones by comparing their photos with images from the collection.
The #LastSeen project not only documents the Holocaust but also generates new insights into Nazi mass deportations, develops novel methodologies for photo analysis, and provides educational tools for Holocaust awareness. The research is ongoing, with plans to expand the collection to include images from all European countries annexed or occupied by the Nazis.
Through the lens of photography, the #LastSeen project endeavors to give face and voice to the victims of the Holocaust, honoring their memory and ensuring their stories are remembered for generations to come.
