Made in a German workshop, c. 1850, and falsely labeled “J.B. Schweitzer,” instruments of this type were popular among Jewish amateurs in Eastern Europe, as they were affordable and widely available.
This violin was once played in the men’s orchestra at Auschwitz, where music offered both survival and sorrow. After the war, Abraham Davidowitz, a Polish Jew who had fled to Russia in 1939 and later aided displaced Jews in Germany, purchased the instrument from a destitute survivor for $50, intending it for his young son, Freddy.
Decades later, Freddy Davidowitz donated the violin to the Violins of Hope project, where it was restored to full playing condition. Today, it is performed by leading musicians worldwide, giving voice to the silenced and honoring the memory of those who perished.
