The Wiener Library
The Wiener Library
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 7:30 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
The Wiener Library is one of the world's leading and most extensive archives on the Holocaust and Nazi era. Formed in 1933, the Library's unique collection of over one million items includes published and unpublished works, press cuttings, photographs and eyewitness testimony.
The Library traces its roots back to Germany in the 1920s. Dr Alfred Wiener, a German Jew, having fought in WWI, returned to Germany in 1919 and was horrified at the surge of right-wing antisemitism, which blamed Jews for the defeat.
Dr Wiener worked with the Central Association of German Citizens of Jewish Faith to combat antisemitism, writing, lobbying and speaking publicly. From 1925 (the year Hitler published Mein Kampf) he perceived a greater threat from the Nazi Party than any other antisemitic group or party. Under his influence an archive was started just to collect information about the Nazis, which formed the basis of campaigns to undermine their activities.
Dr Wiener and his family fled Germany in 1933 and settled in Amsterdam. Dr Wiener's first archive is believed to have been destroyed. Later that year he set up the Jewish Central Information Office at the request of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Anglo-Jewish Association. The JCIO essentially continued the work of the earlier archive.
Following the November Pogrom of 1938, Wiener prepared to bring his collection to the UK. It arrived the following summer and is believed to have opened on the day the Nazis invaded Poland.
Throughout the War the JCIO served the British Government as it fought the Nazi regime. Increasingly the collection was referred to as ‘Dr Wiener's Library' and eventually this led to its renaming.
Post-war, the Library assisted the prosecutors at the Nuremberg Trial, amassed early survivor testimony and helped to shape the emerging academic study of the Holocaust.
Today, the collection is among the largest and most respected in the world and continues to grow. In 2011 it moved to new premises in Russell Square and began a programme funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund to improve access and open its collections to the widest possible audience.
Duration: 1-2 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Full view
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
The area
Address
Neighborhood: Bloomsbury
Snuggly nestled within Central London is academic and leafy Bloomsbury, an area that boasts walking distance access to many of London's most popular attractions. It is also home to some of Britain's most celebrated museums, including the must-see British Museum. Despite an understandable popularity with students, tourists and day trippers, vast sections of Bloomsbury retain a quiet, residential feel year round and throughout the week.
How to get there
- Russell Square • 4 min walk
- Goodge St • 7 min walk
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
10,000 within 3 miles
Attractions
2,379 within 6 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
24 reviews
Excellent
16
Very good
6
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
1
MinkusMe
Kingston-upon-hull, United Kingdom189 contributions
Jun 2016 • Solo
I went in to the Wiener Library on the off-chance - I saw a placard outside of the library about its exhibition and that it was free to the public. That was enough to draw me in. The exhibition was on the displacement of Jews before and after WWII and the role of Britain in the war. It was extremely interesting and the first-hand accounts and materials added a lot more to the information and the display. I have signed up to the mailing list as I would be very keen to see future exhibitions on the strength of this one. The Library is a short walk from the British Museum and from Russell Street tube station, so can be part of a day out. I would definitely recommend seeing what's on.
Written July 7, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
skippingropeNeasden
london31 contributions
Nov 2015 • Friends
Alfred Wiener started collecting anti semitic materials before 1933 when Hitler became chancellor of Germany. Since then survivors of the holocaust and history have provided the most complete library of the destruction of minorities from 1933-1945.
a modern building that is fascinating and enlightening and educating beyond belief.
a modern building that is fascinating and enlightening and educating beyond belief.
Written November 17, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richard W
Worcester, UK314 contributions
Oct 2019
Friendly staff and an amazingly warm welcome. A peaceful reading room, well resourced with archive materials available by request. Whether for an insight into how resources about the Holocaust and genocides are curated, or personal research, this library is well worth visiting.
Written October 30, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gillonholsagain
Durham112 contributions
May 2014 • Family
Waited ages to visit, walked 25 mins here to be told its holding a workshop and entry not allowed. I had checked website before going but they didn't bother to inform visitors of closure. We were told we could visit reading rooms IF we had I.D. like passport , driving licence. ??? As U.K. citizens we do not carry such especially in London. Think their website needs to inform people they will be disappointed.
Written May 30, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Harry F
Aledo55 contributions
May 2019 • Business
We took 18 college students to the Wiener Library. They found the information presented to be highly interesting and we had good discussions in class on the following day.
Written July 12, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SouthWalesTeapot
Chester, UK137 contributions
Jun 2018
We had never heard of the Wiener until their latest exhibition was reviewed in 'the Telegraph' It was a little difficult to locate being effectively a single house of several floors. Whist we would not suggest others make this Library a priority on a London visit, its resources will be of interest to many, and researchers in particular.
Written July 11, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Phil T
Kingston-upon-Hull, UK614 contributions
Jun 2016 • Solo
This is a small but very informative museum/library. There is a great deal of information of the holocaust and the impact it had on people especially people coming to England. If you get chance it's worth your time.
Written June 16, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dr_Max_P
London, UK104 contributions
Feb 2016 • Solo
A vast and incredibly rich collection of all sorts of material relating to the Holocaust and other genocides. It hosts a few temporary exhibitions and has a wonderful reading room. It is a place for scholars, students, and anyone interested in how infamous racism and hate can be. Ever so actual. A true gem.
Written February 18, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
thegr8traveller
London, UK4 contributions
Sep 2015 • Family
Amazing place t visit. It really sheds light on what happened to Holocaust victims post WW2, something I had never really thought about until visiting this exhibition. Even though it is a small exhibit, the interactive tour of a concentration camp with commentary by the British Army General who liberated it is touching on a humanitarian level.
Written September 6, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
the_finchley_lees
London, UK887 contributions
Apr 2015 • Friends
Went with a group and the education officer was fluent, sensitive and interesting. were given a tour of archives and shown some photos of displaced persons camps after the war in Belsen. They have an amazing website and you can find out about peoples' stories and experiences
Not sure which was more chilling, the board game called Juden raus!" (Jews out!) : history's most infamous board game made in 1933 with little yellow Jew pieces to move around the board (if you land on six Jews and send them Palestine, you win) or the autographed English copy of Mein Kampf which some English fans had taken to Germany for Hitler to sign, days before we went to war.
Well worth a visit, the library is extraordinary and 15% of its books are to be found nowhere else.
Not sure which was more chilling, the board game called Juden raus!" (Jews out!) : history's most infamous board game made in 1933 with little yellow Jew pieces to move around the board (if you land on six Jews and send them Palestine, you win) or the autographed English copy of Mein Kampf which some English fans had taken to Germany for Hitler to sign, days before we went to war.
Well worth a visit, the library is extraordinary and 15% of its books are to be found nowhere else.
Written April 30, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wondered if their files go back in time to 1840s etc. when German Jewish people by the name of Rosenthal were removed from their lands and property probably in German, these were titled people who lost everything and changed their name to Rose ?
Written May 3, 2017
Showing results 1-1 of 1
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing