FIGHTING ANTISEMITISM FROM DREYFUS TO TODAY – A NEW EXHIBITION AT THE WIENER HOLOCAUST LIBRARY
The Community Security Trust (CST) Antisemitic Incidents Report 2021, published in February 2022, shows 2,255 anti-Jewish hate incidents reported across Britain in 2021. This is the highest annual total that CST has ever recorded and is a 34% increase from 2020.
Antisemitism continues to pose a very real threat to Jews in Britain, Europe and around the world.
The Library’s important exhibition reveals the history of the fight against antisemitism over the last century in France, Britain and Germany. Through unique and never seen before documents from the Library’s collections, and striking photographs from CST’s archives, we spotlight the stories of the individuals, organisations and campaigns that have fought against antisemitism since the time of the Dreyfus Affair in 1890s France.
The exhibition shines a light on the various strategies that those fighting against antisemitism have taken over the last one hundred years and more, from publishing pamphlets refuting antisemitic ideas, to gathering evidence about the activities of antisemites, to street fighting and the infiltration of fascist groups.
The Library seeks to help educate visitors on the complex history of antisemitism, and be inspired by the rich history of anti-antisemites. By learning from the past, we can better recognise instances of antisemitism and challenge it where it is found.
The Wiener Holocaust Library’s new exhibition, Fighting Antisemitism from Dreyfus to Today, has been curated partly in response to worrying trends in contemporary antisemitism, including the rise in harassment of Jews in recent years, and the spread of conspiracy theories online during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wiener Holocaust Library