'Violin of hope': Secret note hidden in Dachau-built musical instrument found after 80 years

Prior to the central commemorative ceremony of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Dachau concentration camp, a secret note which has remained hidden all these years reminds us that hope can survive even in the most horrific of places.

The note was written by Franciszek “Franz” Kempa, a Jewish prisoner of the Nazi concentration camp. He hid it inside a violin he had crafted under harrowing circumstances.

Musical instruments were crafted, present and found in concentration camps across Central and Eastern Europe during World War II.

The Nazis often permitted and even encouraged prisoners to play in order to give a false impression to the outside world about life in the camps. Essentially, using music as a tool of propaganda and deception.

more...