Material culture is arguably one of the most significant disciplines in shaping the future of Holocaust memory and museum studies, for which much scholarship exists. Yet, there is still much research to be done concerning the concept of home, internment and displacement in the memory of Holocaust survivors, and how personal objects or artefacts have influenced this. This presentation aims to address the increasing importance of object biographies, as converged within private, familial and localised spheres. The case studies presented here will investigate the ways in which materiality has helped to shape the narrative of the Holocaust experience and after, with a specific focus on the private and familial material memories concerning the victims of Sobibór Death Camp (Poland). Following either the death or relocation of these victims, I seek to emphasise the increasing importance of material culture within the 'home', where the transmission of memory and experience is often accessed through the presence of 'testimonial objects' (M. Hirsch, 2007) . Through semi-structured qualitative interviews and personal visitation, I analyse the relevance of these items for the following generations, and how this has affected their own individual understanding and perception of Sobibór, as part of their own personal narrative.
Although the Sobibór survivors left Poland with few valuables or belongings following their experiences during the Holocaust, certain mementos were recovered or carried with them throughout their post-war movements, taking presence and a 'resting place' within their new private and familial spaces. In my proposed paper, then, I investigate how these objects have affected different generations within the family, including those who have inherited such artefacts after their parent or grandparent passed. In working with private archives and sources, my research also aims to raise issues of preservation; should an object charged with such loss and meaning be donated to an institution for further conservation and research, or do objects of the dead belong with the family? If so, what meanings do the objects carry within a private setting, and what are the limitations?
