More than 85 years after the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany and almost eight decades after the end of the Nazi regime, the question of how to deal appropriately with the legacies and remnants of that era persists. These artefacts can be found throughout the cityscape and in collections. More often, however, they remain in private hands – in cellars, attics and cupboards.

The issue of how to handle these artefacts concerns not only public institutions, such as the Stadtmuseum, but also many individuals and families. For many people in Austria, Nazism, the Second World War and the Holocaust are part of their family history. While formal knowledge of the Nazi era is growing, familial accounts and traditions are increasingly fading.

In the summer of 2022, the Stadtmuseum established the ‘Office for Difficult Heritage’ as a point of contact for anyone wishing to submit objects from the Nazi era or who has unanswered questions about their family history. This exhibition consists of the objects and stories collected within this framework.

All exhibition texts, thematic texts and object descriptions are available digitally in English. Scan the QR codes with your mobile device for additional information and a view of the objects in the boxes.