One million pounds of National Lottery money has been granted to the Wiener Library, Europe’s premier Holocaust archive.
The money, from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), is to form part of an endowment that will allow the library to expand its provision of school workshops, lectures and exhibitions.
Under the terms of the grant, the library must now raise an additional £1 million in order to secure the funds.
Ben Barkow, director of library, described being awarded the grant as a “huge achievement… We are delighted that the HLF has recognised the library’s critical heritage role.”
He added that the money would be used to secure the library’s long-term role as a significant resource for Holocaust education.
The money comes from a scheme called Catalyst: Endowment, which encourages long-term financial independence for museums, parks and historic sites.
Carole Souter, chief executive of HLF, said: “Building financial resilience is vital to ensure the future of our precious buildings, landscapes and collections.”
The library was founded in Amsterdam in 1933 by Dr Alfred Wiener and transferred to central London in 1939. It moved to its current building in Russell Square in 2011.
Toby Simpson, the library’s learning and engagement manager, said that the money would be used to increase the number of workshops available to school groups on subjects such as rescue and resistance.
He said that the library planned to hold more educational events for adults, such as its joint workshop on war-themed board games with the Victoria and Albert Museum.
