The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) announced the launch of “Benno’s Light,” the heartbreaking and inspiring story of 98-year-old Holocaust survivor Benno Kern brought to life through cutting-edge, mixed-reality technology, which allows people to walk through his story while using VR headsets or simply on their computers. “Benno’s Light” is the latest effort to expand access to Holocaust knowledge, meeting future generations in compelling and engaging ways.
Gideon Taylor, president of the Claims Conference, said that “mixed reality is the technology of now and of the future. And it is precisely why it is so crucial that we tap into advanced technology to help future generations understand the Holocaust. We cannot let stories like Benno’s fade into the darkness.”
In partnership with the Austrian government, the Claims Conference collaborated with immersive technology company makemepulse to create a sensitive and evocative mixed-reality experience animating Kern’s words into a powerful testimony and educational experience for generations to come.
“Holocaust remembrance is not only an obligation to the past; it is our mandate for the future. A vibrant and forward-looking culture of remembrance requires us to meet current and future generations where they are. Projects like ‘Benno’s Light’ demonstrate how cutting-edge technology can preserve the voices of survivors in ways that are deeply personal, accessible and meaningful for young audiences today and tomorrow,” said Austrian Federal Chancellor Christian Stocker.
He added that “Austria recognizes its historical responsibility to ensure that the truth of the Shoah remains alive through innovative educational tools that strengthen awareness, deepen understanding and sharpen our vigilance against antisemitism, hatred and intolerance in all forms.”
Born in 1927 in Vienna, Austria, Benno Kern recounts his life in the city he remembers for both its music and intellect, but also for the pogroms that scarred the hearts of those who remember. Kern explains to viewers how his joyful and innocent childhood turned to darkness as his relatives, and eventually his own immediate family, ran from the Nazis and were eventually captured by them.
The XR project follows him as his family fled Vienna to Czechoslovakia, Belgium and Paris, where the Nazis captured Benno and his parents, sending them to Auschwitz.
“I’ll never forget my mother’s words: ‘You have the opportunity to stay alive. The decision is yours,’” recounted Benno Kern, Holocaust survivor and featured storyteller. “I was the only member of my family to survive the Holocaust. This project has special meaning to me as I carried my family’s story for more than 80 years with uncertainty as to whether it would be remembered. I ask future generations to hear my words and carry them forward in your hearts. Let them light your way. And let them remind you what it means to carry compassion, even in the darkest of times.”
“Benno’s Light” builds on “Inside Kristallnacht,” the groundbreaking XR project the Claims Conference released in 2024. It followed Dr. Charlotte Knobloch through the streets of Munich, Germany, as she recounts the November pogrom the night of Nov. 9, 1938, when, as a 6-year-old, she and her father hid from the Nazis terrorizing their Jewish community.
Kristallnacht was the historic moment when a growing hatred peaked, catalyzing into acts of violence and rage, when citizens turned on their longtime neighbors, roaming the streets in mobs, breaking the glass of Jewish homes and shops. More than 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and deported to concentration camps during the days of Kristallnacht.
Alexander Pröll, state secretary for the Austrian Federal Chancellery, said: “Holocaust education must continue to evolve to remain meaningful for future generations. Innovative projects, such as ‘Benno’s Light,’ show how technology can strengthen remembrance by bringing survivor testimony into new educational and cultural spaces around the world. Remembering the Shoah demands that we actively counter antisemitism and hatred wherever they surface, reinforcing our shared responsibility to defend human dignity, historical truth and democratic values.”
The launch of “Benno’s Light” at the University of Vienna carries profound historical significance. Following the destruction of Vienna’s medieval synagogue and the murder and expulsion of Jews in 1421, stones from the synagogue were used in the construction of the earliest buildings of what would later become part of the University of Vienna. More than 500 years later, the university now serves as a place to confront that history openly and honestly, transforming a site once connected to the erasure of Jewish life into a space dedicated to remembrance, education and the preservation of survivor testimony for future generations.
“New technology allows us to engage younger generations, which is critical to ensure the lessons of the Shoah are never forgotten,” said Greg Schneider, executive vice president of the Claims Conference. “Benno was the same age as today’s students when he was torn from his home by the Nazis and forced onto a deportation train to Auschwitz. XR technology allows Benno to once again be a 15-year-old, showing today’s 15-year-olds the result of unchecked hatred.”
This virtual reality project integrates real-life footage, photographs, music and other audio from the Anschluss to Auschwitz, as well as meticulously researched historical context, into the hand-drawn world of Kern’s story with stunning artwork created by immersive technology company, makemepulse. The mixed-reality project will be displayed in museums and film festivals, and accompanying educational materials are currently under development.
Nicolas Rajabaly, co-founder and chief creative officer of makemepulse, stated that “‘Benno’s Light’ was never about using technology for spectacle. “The challenge was finding a way to preserve the intimacy and humanity of Benno’s testimony while creating a format capable of reaching new generations,” he said. “What moved us most during the process was realizing that Benno’s memories were shaped less by places and more by the people who helped him survive. That insight fundamentally changed the experience we designed.
“We shifted away from historical reconstruction alone and focused instead on emotional proximity, presence and human connection. Immersive technology gave us the opportunity to transform testimony into something audiences could feel around them rather than simply observe from a distance.”
The “Benno’s Light” experience can be accessed by clicking here: https://bennos-light.org/.
