Exhibition "Finding Ivy"

Mehrere Roll-Up-Banner der Ausstellung, die auf einem braunen Holzfußboden stehen. Hinter den Bannern sind Fenster zu erkennen.
Holocaust Memorial Day event of the county of Surrey in  front of the "Finding Ivy"-exhibition at the Surrey History Centre
Holocaust Memorial Day event of the county of Surrey in  front of the "Finding Ivy"-exhibition at the Surrey History Centre
Holocaust Memorial Day event of the county of Surrey in  front of the "Finding Ivy"-exhibition at the Surrey History Centre

The bilingual (German/English) exhibition "Finding Ivy. A life worthy of life" is dedicated to the biographies of British victims of the National Socialist "euthanasia" murders. 

Among the approximately 70,000 people who were murdered in 1940 and 1941 as part of “Aktion T4”, there were also some who had a biographical connection to Great Britain. An international research team led by Dr. Helen Atherton from the University of Leeds has been reconstructing the lives of these people. The results are now available to the public as part of a travelling exhibition.

Using a range of archive material collected in the UK, Austria, Germany and beyond, as well as reports and records from family members, the team compiled 13 lives to be displayed on roll-up banners.

 On Monday, April 15th, a commentary on the exhibition by well-known journalist Dominic Lawson appeared in the high-circulation British newspaper "Daily Mail". Further media reports can be found at the end of this page.

Exhibition dates and locations

  • January 19 - February 5, 2026: JW3 Cultural Centre, London (GB)
  • February 18 - May 12 2026: Royal College of Psychiatrists, London (GB)


Previous exhibition locations (2024 and 2025)

Birmingham City University

British Society for the History of Medicine Congress, Clothworkers Hall, Leeds

City Lit, London

German Historical Institute, London

Memorial Site Hartheim Castle, Alkoven (Austria)

Holocaust Centre North, Huddersfield

London Metropolitan Archives

Lotherton Hall, Leeds

Open University Social History of Learning Disability Conference, Milton Keynes

RAF Biggin Hill Museum Kent

St Mary’s Church, Beverley, Yorkshire

Surrey History Centre, Woking

University of Coventry

University of Lancashire, Preston

University of Leeds

University of Salzburg (Austria)

University of South Wales, Glyntaff

University of Swansea

University of Western England, Bristol

Wiener Holocaust Library London

Media reports

- The Jewish Chronicle: Devastating lives of British-born disabled victims murdered by Nazis uncovered in Holocaust North exhibition

- Museums Journal: Q&A | ‘The shadow of eugenic thinking still hangs over disabled people today’ - Museums Association

- Jewish News: Holocaust Centre North shares stories of British disabled people murdered by Nazis - Jewish News

- Telegraph & Argus: Holocaust Centre North to launch Nazi Aktion T4 exhibition | Bradford Telegraph and Argus (thetelegraphandargus.co.uk)

- The Yorkshire Post: Huddersfield exhibition on British-born victims of the Holocaust’s Aktion T4 Programme (yorkshirepost.co.uk)

- Kirlees Local TV: Holocaust North Hosts Temporary Exhibition Telling the Stories of the 13 British-Born Disabled Victims of the Holocaust’s Aktion T4 Programme - KLTV (kirkleeslocaltv.com)

- Mag North: Finding Ivy: A Life Worth Living (mag-north.com)