“Every time I get angry, I write a book.” — Arno Lustiger (1924–2012)

The online exhibition honors the Frankfurt historian and Holocaust survivor Arno Lustiger on the occasion of his 100th birthday. In addition to photographs, letters and newspaper articles, the multimedia exhibition also shows posters, paintings and video material from Lustiger’s estate, which has been kept at the Jewish Museum Frankfurt since 2017.

The exhibition highlights Arno Lustiger’s life and work along five stages – Living On, Building Up, Helping to Shape, Educating, Remembering. In addition to his achievements as co-founder of the Frankfurt Jewish community and chronicler of Jewish resistance against fascism, lesser-known aspects of his biography are also highlighted, such as his work as a successful fashion entrepreneur and art collector. Lustiger’s biography is also a chronicle of the young West Germany and its difficult handling of the Nazi era, which the controversial publicist publicly demanded be dealt with until his death.

The exhibition has been accessible internationally on the Google Arts & Culture platform since May 2024.

The online exhibition tells the story of Anne Frank’s ancestors and family since the 17th century. Paintings, photographs, letters, memories and objects illustrate the world, tradition and cohesion of the family, whose roots lie in Frankfurt am Main and Landau in der Pfalz.

Anne Frank’s grandmother Alice Frank played a key role in passing on the family heritage. She kept the memorabilia for her children and grandchildren. Excerpts from one of her letters can be listened to in the online exhibition. Other stages in the family’s history, from the German Empire to the Weimar Republic and the post-war period, are illustrated using historical images. The online exhibition concludes with an interview with Buddy Elias (1925–2015), Anne Frank’s cousin and former president of the Anne Frank Foundation Basel.

The exhibition texts are available in German and English and have been written in plain language. Technical terms and foreign words have been avoided or explained. The exhibition has been internationally accessible on the Google Arts & Culture platform since 2017.