Women co-directors make history by taking helm at Shoah archive

The Wiener Holocaust Library, the UK’s leading institution dedicated to the study of the Shoah, has announced its new co-directors, with women now leading the centre for the first time since it was established.

Dr Christine Schmidt and Dr Barbara Warnock, both longstanding employees of the library, will serve as co-directors of the institution. Schmidt was promoted to deputy director and head of research at the Library in 2015, whilst Warnock has piloted key public programmes as senior curator and head of education, including an expanded education programme and online resources for schools and universities. Landmark exhibitions under her tenure have welcomed thousands of visitors to see the Library’s unique collections first-hand.

Although the Wiener Holocaust Library has never, until now, appointed a female director, its work throughout the past 92 years has been predicated on the efforts of distinguished female researchers, Librarians and subject experts.

Ilse Wolff, originally from Berlin, was chief librarian of the Library from 1940 until 1966. She worked to research and publish information on the Holocaust after herself fleeing persecution. Dr Eva Reichmann also fled to Britain in 1939, becoming the Library’s first director of research in the 1940s. Her book on Nazi antisemitism, Hostages of Civilisation, was published in 1950 and she went on to lead an ambitious effort to record eyewitness accounts of the Holocaust, about which Christine Schmidt is currently writing a book.

Dr Barbara Warnock said: “I’m honoured to take on the role of co-director after a hugely rewarding ten years seeing first-hand the impact our collections have on students, teachers, researchers, and the wider public. I’m looking forward to working with our dedicated staff and partners to build on this remarkable institution’s legacy.”

Dr Christine Schmidt added: “I am excited, thrilled and honoured to be taking up the role of co-director permanently at this important time in the Library’s history. We look forward to working together and with our talented staff and generous supporters to secure our work with our partners for the future.”

Daniel Peltz, the chair of the Library, said: “Christine and Barbara bring a wealth of valuable experience to their new roles, and are worthy successors to lead the Library through its next exciting phase. I’m looking forward to working closely with them and seeing the Wiener Holocaust Library expand its offering creatively and deliver its vital mission with renewed purpose and energy.”

The two women take over the directorship ahead of a substantial expansion of the Library’s public programmes, continued digital transformation of its collections, and plans to strengthen the institution’s position as the UK’s Holocaust archive of record.