The permanent exhibition tells the story of those people who stood by persecuted Jews in Germany and German-occupied Europe under National Socialism. It presents information about the persecution and plight of Jews facing imminent deportation and about how some of them decided to resist the threat to their lives by going underground.

Aid and rescues were an exception. The permanent exhibition shows that help was in fact possible, however, and that it did happen in many European countries. The extent, success, and conditions of that help varied in the different countries of Europe, while there were diverse motives for helping.

The exhibition tour offers an overview of various aspects of the topic “Resistance to Persecution of the Jews in Europe 1933–1945.” The focus is on seven examples of rescue attempts in various European countries. The exhibition showcases non-Jewish and Jewish helpers and rescue networks, successful and failed rescue attempts. It also looks at persecuted Jews, who had to make an active decision to resist the National Socialist policies of persecution and murder.

Interactive maps help anchor the topics in time and place, while research stations and media screens offer greater depth. They provide information on the situations in each country, on the basis of country profiles and documentation of further rescue attempts. The exhibition’s multimedia aspects also include intensive research opportunities at terminals, documenting the biographies of several hundred helpers and persecuted Jews. This database is continuously updated.