Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away: Educator Preview Night

 Bernd Kruse was a classroom teacher in Furstenau, Germany, when one day, a student told him they found a tombstone in the middle of the woods. This discovery set Bernd on a life path he never would have predicted. After extensive research over many years, Bernd pieced together the dark story of the destruction of the Jewish community of Furstenau. Now, set on a path of education, raising awareness and most importantly, honoring and remembering those who were murdered, Berndt brings this story to light.

Walter Frank was born in Kaiserslautern, Germany, February 10, 1937. Walter’s parents, Karl and Thecla, decided to flee Germany from fear of what the Nazis might–and eventually did–do. Though Walter’s parents urged the whole family to flee, they could not convince anyone else to leave except for one sister. Walter’s grandparents lived in Furstenau. Of the family who remained in Germany, all were murdered.

This program will bring together Bernd Kruse and Walter Frank in a conversation about the importance of Holocaust education and the power remembering.

On the opening weekend of Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away., join the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center and Cincinnati Museum Center for a special program amplifying Cincinnati’s connections to this landmark exhibition.

The panel discussion will feature exhibition curators, museum partners, and descendants of Holocaust survivors who built new lives in Cincinnati. Together, they will reflect on the process of bringing the exhibition to Union Terminal, explore the ways local survivor stories resonate within the exhibition, and consider how our community continues to carry forward lessons of resilience and humanity.

Following the panel discussion in Reakirt Auditorium, guests are invited to a special conversation in the CrEATe Culinary Studio featuring the Kroger Lab. Steve Coppel and Ron Coppel, sons of Holocaust survivors Werner and Trudy Coppel, will share their family’s story while recreating their mother Trudy’s cherished plum cake recipe. They will reflect on the meaningful connections between food, family, memory, and legacy. Guests will have the opportunity to sample the plum cake and take home special survivor recipe cards created for this program.

Tickets to Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. are sold separately from this event. Purchase them now to experience this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition in Cincinnati.

Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. was created by Musealia in cooperation with the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and curated by an international panel of experts, including world-renowned scholars Dr. Robert Jan van Pelt, Dr. Michael Berenbaum and Paul Salmons, in an unprecedented collaboration with historians and curators at the Research Center at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, led by Dr. Piotr Setkiewicz. Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. opens October 18, 2025 at Union Terminal. The opportunity to bring this impactful exhibition to Cincinnati has been generously supported by Rhonda and Larry Sheakley, the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati, and the Ohio Holocaust and Genocide Memorial and Education Commission.