On the 2nd of November 2023 staff members of the Wiener Holocaust Library discovered that the outside of our premises in Russell Square, London had been vandalised. An external sign promoting our Exhibition space and Reading Room had been graffitied with the word 'GAZA' in red paint.

Founded in 1933, the library is the world's oldest institution dedicated to the study of the Holocaust. We provide a resource to oppose antisemitism and other forms of prejudice and intolerance. It has been extremely sad for our institution of learning to become a target of hate.

We were overwhelmed by the immediate public support in response to this vandalism. Overnight on Thursday we received so many unprompted donations, which we will use to help cover the cost of a new sign. The existing defaced sign has now been taken down and has been added to our archive. It will serve as the latest piece of evidence to help document acts of antisemitism and other forms of hatred. Our unique collections are crucial for countering the dangers posed by hatred, extremist political ideologies and conspiracy theories.

It was wonderful to receive the funding to cover the costs of a new sign, however, many people might not know that the library needs to raise a considerable amount of funding every year to continue providing our core services, such as preserving our collections. Therefore, The Wiener Holocaust Library kindly asks for your help to raise these vital funds that will be used for the ongoing preservation costs of our important archive of evidence and to allow us to continue making our collections accessible to all who wish to learn.

Thank you in advance for any contribution you may be able to give towards our important work. All support is so very much appreciated and even more so in this difficult and challenging time. The impact of any donations received will be fundamental to the preservation of our collection of over 1 million artefacts.