The Hidden Holocaust Papers: Survival. Exile. Return.

The Walrus Lab
The Hidden Holocaust Papers: Survival. Exile. Return.

When mysterious boxes land on his Vancouver doorstep, best-selling Canadian author Timothy Taylor embarks on a journey of discovery that takes him to Germany and into a hidden family history, spoken about rarely and in whispered tones. Following the breadcrumbs from remote farmhouses to the well-appointed offices of Germany’s cultural elite, Timothy’s on a mission to piece together his family’s experiences of persecution, death, exile and survival under the Nazis, to make sure his mother and grandparents are properly commemorated, to give voice to those the Nazis tried to silence. As Timothy excavates the centuries-long history of his once-prominent German-Jewish family, he asks what that legacy means for him, and us, today.  A six-part documentary podcast series that delves into the family history of best-selling Canadian author Timothy Taylor, uncovering stories of persecution, resilience, and survival during the Holocaust. This podcast is funded by the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre and produced by The Walrus Lab. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes

  1. Episode 6: Live from Vancouver

    24 FEB

    Episode 6: Live from Vancouver

    Hannah Marazzi, Executive Director of the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, introduces an intimate evening of conversation and reflection hosted by Timothy Taylor and recorded live on February 13th, 2025, at the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre at the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver. Timothy speaks about the podcast, his family's experiences and the broader meaning of these stories with three guests: Mariette Doduck, a Holocaust survivor and co-founder of the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre; David Bercovici-Artieda, an Ecuadorian-Jewish filmmaker who now calls Vancouver Island home; and Shelagh Genuis, Timothy's sister who first brought him the boxes of family documents that became the source material for The Hidden Holocaust Papers. Then, Timothy and Showrunner/Co-Executive Producer Anthony Cantor share some behind-the-scenes insights into the making of this series. Questions from the live audience round out the evening. This live episode was directed by Eric Anderson. Will Howie served as Technical Producer and Sound Engineer. Justin Brown was the Live Mix Engineer. The Venue Crew Lead and Lighting Operator was Emily Trepanier. The Hidden Holocaust Papers: Survival. Exile. Return. is a production of The Walrus Lab in partnership with the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre. It's presented by Timothy Taylor. The Executive Producers are Anthony Cantor and Timothy Taylor. Anthony Cantor is the showrunner. Written by Timothy Taylor and Anthony Cantor. Co-produced and edited by Eric Anderson and Sean Prpick. Technical Production, Sound Engineering and Design, and Music Supervision by Rob Julius Janson. Research and translation by Joel Pinsker.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 31m
  2. Episode 5: We’re Still Here

    13 FEB

    Episode 5: We’re Still Here

    As this stage of Timothy’s journey draws to a close, he’s confronted with some key remaining questions. After the persecution and rejection that has been experienced, can there be any meaningful return to Germany for the Kuppenheims? What role can commemoration and memorialization play? And assuming it’s even possible, what form should his own reconciliation with Germany take? Timothy explores the Stolpersteine project, one of the most innovative and effective of the various Holocaust memorial projects he’s encountered. He considers whether he should accept German citizenship, to which he is entitled as a descendant of victims of the Nazis. And in all of this, Timothy is forced to look deeply within himself, asking how his family’s heritage and his own journey of discovery should now inform his identity. In a cathartic final moment, Timothy’s far-flung family reunites to honour Felix and Gertrud, Hans and Ilse, Traute and Ursula. And, in so doing, they take a step toward a larger, shared goal: never again. An English translation of the letter by Levke Linder and Julie Hoffmann is read by Hanna Feldhaus Kent. The Hidden Holocaust Papers: Survival. Exile. Return. is a production of The Walrus Lab in partnership with the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre. It's presented by Timothy Taylor. The Executive Producers are Anthony Cantor and Timothy Taylor. Anthony Cantor is the showrunner. Written by Timothy Taylor and Anthony Cantor. Co-produced and edited by Eric Anderson and Sean Prpick. Technical Production, Sound Engineering and Design, and Music Supervision by Rob Julius Janson. Research and translation by Joel Pinsker.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    51 min
  3. Episode 4: Unrequited Love

    10 FEB

    Episode 4: Unrequited Love

    Having traced his grandparents’ and mother’s journeys from Germany to Ecuador, Timothy considers the German-Jewish family history that gave rise to both the Kuppenheims’ success and to their persecution. He begins with the archive’s oldest record, dating from 1813. This document allows him to unpack the groundbreaking career of his great-great-great-grandfather, and also to situate his ancestor in a moment of profound change for German Jews. Continuing in this vein, Timothy visits a collector of the work of his great-great-grandfather, a legendary jeweller. He then considers the tragedy of his great grandparents, visiting the sites of their successes and learning how it all came crashing down. A trip to Heidelberg to learn about his great uncle’s experience of antisemitism gives Timothy an idea for bringing his family’s story full circle. The voice of Ursula Kuppenheim is provided by Hanna Feldhaus Kent.  The Hidden Holocaust Papers: Survival. Exile. Return. is a production of The Walrus Lab in partnership with the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre. It's presented by Timothy Taylor. The Executive Producers are Anthony Cantor and Timothy Taylor. Anthony Cantor is the showrunner. Written by Timothy Taylor and Anthony Cantor. Co-produced and edited by Eric Anderson and Sean Prpick. Technical Production, Sound Engineering and Design, and Music Supervision by Rob Julius Janson. Research and translation by Joel Pinsker.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 12m
  4. Episode 3: Going Underground

    3 FEB

    Episode 3: Going Underground

    Ursula’s situation grows much more dangerous in 1944, when the Nazis move to round up Mischlinge like her. Timothy learns that his mother went into hiding on rural farms and scours the archive for clues to the exact locations. Through photographs, he identifies a man who seems to have played a role in protecting Ursula. Tracking down this man’s granddaughter provides an emotional breakthrough, and, remarkably, her family’s photo albums contain pictures of Ursula from 1944. Timothy pieces together clues that lead to the town of Delbrück, where he speaks with a local historian, standing on the very spot where the 1944 photographs of his mother were taken. Through these discussions, another local man is identified who helped Jews hide from Nazis. In a second shock discovery, Timothy learns that that man’s grandson still runs the family jewellery store, and that he has some tantalizing information for Timothy. Timothy has traced his mother’s survival to the very moment she went into hiding. But at this point, the trail seems to have gone cold. Timothy speaks to a survivor who can shed light on his mother’s time underground. Following the story to the immediate post-war period, Timothy learns that Ursula’s experience of liberation was accompanied by its own tribulations.    The voices of Ursula Kuppenheim and Charlotte Knobloch are provided by Hanna Feldhaus Kent. The Hidden Holocaust Papers: Survival. Exile. Return. is a production of The Walrus Lab in partnership with the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre. It's presented by Timothy Taylor. The Executive Producers are Anthony Cantor and Timothy Taylor. Anthony Cantor is the showrunner. Written by Timothy Taylor and Anthony Cantor. Co-produced and edited by Eric Anderson and Sean Prpick. Technical Production, Sound Engineering and Design, and Music Supervision by Rob Julius Janson. Research and translation by Joel Pinsker.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 15m
  5. Episode 2: Dictatorship 101

    3 FEB

    Episode 2: Dictatorship 101

    While his grandfather managed to flee Nazi Germany in 1940 and make it to safety in Ecuador, Timothy’s half-Jewish mother and his gentile grandmother were unable to escape. Timothy turns to his archive to discover what those years were like for them. His mother, Ursula, who was only ten years old when her father fled, bravely writes of her family’s Jewish history in a school assignment, which Timothy is able to read and discuss with experts. He also learns that when German children were sent to the countryside to avoid Allied bombings, Ursula went along despite having to keep her Mischling status a secret. Timothy learns from experts and from his mother’s own account about the desperate hardships of hiding in plain sight. He also discovers the shocking fallout when his mother’s secret identity is discovered. The voice of Ursula Kuppenheim is provided by Hanna Feldhaus Kent. The Hidden Holocaust Papers: Survival. Exile. Return. is a production of The Walrus Lab in partnership with the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre. It's presented by Timothy Taylor. The Executive Producers are Anthony Cantor and Timothy Taylor. Anthony Cantor is the showrunner. Written by Timothy Taylor and Anthony Cantor. Co-produced and edited by Eric Anderson and Sean Prpick. Technical Production, Sound Engineering and Design, and Music Supervision by Rob Julius Janson. Research and translation by Joel Pinsker.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 6m
  6. Episode 1: Flight

    27 JAN

    Episode 1: Flight

    With the rise of the Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler in Germany, destruction comes quickly for a prominent and respected Jewish family, the Kuppenheims. Members of the family are murdered, exiled or chased into hiding. Some eighty years later, Canadian novelist Timothy Taylor inherits a ten thousand page archive of diaries, letters, photographs and other documents kept by his grandfather and begins to piece together the story of his family’s Holocaust legacy. Travelling to Germany to meet with historians and other experts, Timothy unpacks his grandfather Felix’s fate, from the fallout of the antisemitic Nuremberg Laws, to his long and improbable path of escape from Nazi Germany, through the Soviet Union and Japan, and finally to Ecuador. The voice of Felix Kuppenheim is provided by Jonas Osmann. The Hidden Holocaust Papers: Survival. Exile. Return. is a production of The Walrus Lab in partnership with the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre. It's presented by Timothy Taylor. The Executive Producers are Anthony Cantor and Timothy Taylor. Anthony Cantor is the showrunner. Written by Timothy Taylor and Anthony Cantor. Co-produced and edited by Eric Anderson and Sean Prpick. Technical Production, Sound Engineering and Design, and Music Supervision by Rob Julius Janson. Research and translation by Joel Pinsker.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1h 6m
  7. Introducing: The Hidden Holocaust Papers: Survival. Exile. Return.

    TRAILER

    Introducing: The Hidden Holocaust Papers: Survival. Exile. Return.

    When mysterious boxes arrive at his Vancouver home, Timothy Taylor begins a journey to uncover his family’s hidden past—a history of persecution, exile, and survival under the Nazis. Traveling from rural Germany to its cultural centers, Timothy pieces together his once-prominent German-Jewish family’s story, determined to honor their memory and give voice to those silenced. Through letters, diaries, and artifacts, The Hidden Holocaust Papers explores loss, survival, and the enduring impact of history on future generations. This podcast is funded by the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre and produced by The Walrus Lab. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1 min

Trailer

About

When mysterious boxes land on his Vancouver doorstep, best-selling Canadian author Timothy Taylor embarks on a journey of discovery that takes him to Germany and into a hidden family history, spoken about rarely and in whispered tones. Following the breadcrumbs from remote farmhouses to the well-appointed offices of Germany’s cultural elite, Timothy’s on a mission to piece together his family’s experiences of persecution, death, exile and survival under the Nazis, to make sure his mother and grandparents are properly commemorated, to give voice to those the Nazis tried to silence. As Timothy excavates the centuries-long history of his once-prominent German-Jewish family, he asks what that legacy means for him, and us, today.  A six-part documentary podcast series that delves into the family history of best-selling Canadian author Timothy Taylor, uncovering stories of persecution, resilience, and survival during the Holocaust. This podcast is funded by the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre and produced by The Walrus Lab. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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