Speakers

Philipp Blom (*1970 in Hamburg) is a historian, author, and journalist. He studied history, philosophy, and Jewish studies in Vienna and Oxford and completed his doctorate on nationalism. Blom has written numerous books on history, philosophy, and politics and also works as a journalist, radio presenter, and public speaker. His historical works include studies on European cultural history, the Enlightenment, and the period between the two World Wars.

© 2025 Philipp Blom. All rights reserved. 

Daniela Lackner is the Vienna coordinator of the ERINNERN:AT network. She is a teacher of history, civic education, and English and has been involved for many years in the fields of remembrance culture, democratic education, and combating antisemitism. In her work, she develops and supports educational projects focusing on the history of National Socialism and active remembrance.

Photo: Daniela Lackner

Hannah Lessing is Secretary General / Executive Director of the National Fund of the Republic of Austria for Victims of National Socialism. Since the establishment of the National Fund in 1995, she has worked on behalf of Holocaust survivors, restitution issues, and Austria’s culture of remembrance. Her work connects compensation, historical responsibility, and international cooperation in Holocaust remembrance.

Photo: Hannah M. Lessing

Jakub Nowakowski was born and raised in Kraków’s former Jewish district of Kazimierz. He studied Jewish Studies at the Jagiellonian University and became interested in the history of his hometown and the Holocaust from an early age. He worked at the Galicia Jewish Museum in Kraków, where he served as director for many years. Since 2023, he has been the Director of the Cape Town Holocaust & Genocide Centre in South Africa.

Photo: Jakub Nowakowski

Martin Korčok is the head of the Holocaust Museum in Sereď, part of the Slovak National Museum – Museum of Jewish Culture. He studied ethnology and non-European studies and focuses on Holocaust history, remembrance, and education. Since 2016, he has led the museum, which is dedicated to preserving the memory of Holocaust victims in Slovakia and promoting historical awareness.

Tomáš Kraus (*1954 in Prague) comes from a Jewish family; his parents were Holocaust survivors. He studied law at Charles University in Prague and later became deeply involved in the Jewish community in the Czech Republic. Since 1991, he has worked with the Federation of Jewish Communities, focusing among other things on compensation and restitution. He is currently the Director of the Terezín Initiative Institute.

Michaela Vidláková (*1937 in Prague) is a Holocaust survivor who has been actively involved in Holocaust remembrance and education for many years. In her Centropa interview, she shares her memories of her childhood in Prague, her deportation to Terezín, and her life after the war. Today, Michaela Vidláková continues to live in Prague.