A secret note hidden in Dachau-built 'Violin of Hope' tells a tale of survival and craftsmanship [View all]

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — During World War II, within the walls of the Nazi concentration camp at Dachau, a Jewish prisoner secretly penned a short note and hid it inside a violin he had crafted under harrowing circumstances — a message to the future that would remain undiscovered for more than 80 years.

“Trial instrument, made under difficult conditions with no tools and materials,” the worn note read. “Dachau. Anno 1941, Franciszek Kempa.”

The origins of the violin, built in 1941 by Franciszek “Franz” Kempa while imprisoned by the Nazis at Dachau in southern Germany, remained unnoticed for decades. It wasn’t until art dealers in Hungary sent the instrument out for repairs — after having stored it for years among a set of purchased furniture — that its history came to light.

Although the instrument’s craftsmanship pointed clearly to a skilled maker, the professional repairing it was puzzled by the poor quality of the wood and the crude tools used to create it, which didn’t match the evident skill involved.

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https://apnews.com/article/hungary-dachau-nazi-violin-note-franciszek-kempa-62782ac2443386b7194901c3c4d47ea0