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A mysterious note found inside a violin constructed in Dachau has been found 80 years later

"Remember me, remember us."

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Art of an Older Man Playing Violin.

In the face of the darkest of tragedies, there can be kernels of hope and moments of unimaginable light. For many oppressed people throughout time, music is one of those kernels. That was certainly the case for some Jewish people faced with unthinkable horrors during the Holocaust—a time when the morality of humanity itself was challenged to its core.

The Violins of Hope Project was founded by Avshalom Weinstein and his son Amnon. over the life of the project, they have amassed a collection of stringed instruments with connections to the Holocaust which they then restore for musicians around the world to play. In a video posted to Today's YouTube, NBC's Jesse Kirsh reports, "It harnesses powerful music with a special collection of violins and other string instruments originally owned by victims of the Holocaust and honors their legacy by keeping their music alive."

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

On the Philharmonic Society's website, they share, "All instruments have a common denominator: they are symbols of hope and a way to say, 'Remember me, remember us. Life is good, celebrate it for those who perished, for those who survived. For all people.'"

Sadly, Amnon passed in 2024, but "his extraordinary legacy lives on through this collection, ensuring that the memories and music of those who suffered are never forgotten. Each instrument tells a story, and serves as a symbol of hope and remembrance."

Now, something extraordinary has been found inside of a violin, reported to have been built inside the Dachau concentration camp. According to an article by Associated Press reporter Justin Spike, "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."

The note read: "Trial instrument, made under difficult conditions with no tools or materials. Dachau, Anno 1941, Franciszek Kempa."

The article relays that the wooden violin was built by Franciszek "Franz" Kempa in 1941 while a prisoner in the Nazi camp in Germany. "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." He later adds, "It is the only known instrument actually built inside the camp."

Franz, an expert violin-maker, survived Dachau and, "according to documents provided to the Hungarian art dealers by the museum at the Dachau memorial site…returned to his native Poland to continue making instruments before dying in 1953."

His instrument-making expertise might have been the very thing that spared him from death. One of the art dealers, Tamás Tálosi, beautifully states, "We named it the ‘violin of hope’ because if someone ends up in a difficult situation, having a task or a challenge helps them get through a lot of things."

This miraculous violin surviving maddening conditions can perhaps be seen as a symbol not just of hope, but of perseverance. Alongside other instruments, it can sing through its strings what is impossible to speak in words. And it can hopefully inspire a better world where our memories of history prevent us from repeating it.


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Surgeons had violinist play during her own brain surgery so they didn't affect her talents

via King's College Hospital

The medical team at King's College Hospital in London asked musician Dagmar Turner, 53, to play the violin during brain surgery to ensure they didn't injure parts of her brain associated with musicianship.

Turner was diagnosed in 2013 with a brain tumor after suffering a seizure during a symphony.

"The violin is my passion. I've been playing since I was 10 years old," Turner said in a Feb. 18 news release. "The thought of losing my ability to play was heart-breaking."

The doctors successfully removed 90% of the tumor without affecting Dagmar's fine motor skills. Three days after the procedure she went home to her husband and son. "I'm hoping to be back with my orchestra very soon," Turner said after the surgery.

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An epic solution for saving our quickly disappearing school music programs.

3D printers and violins have more in common than you might think.

Imagine a high school bus stop around 7:30 a.m.

You’d see maybe eight teenagers: three holding sports duffle bags; one reading a library book; another holding a large art portfolio. The last three might be holding instrument cases shaped like guitars, violins, and trombones.

But what if those instruments disappeared? Unfortunately, that's the reality for many K-12 students across the country.

These days, most American K-12 schools are focusing heavily on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs, but performing arts programs are getting left behind. When extracurricular budgets are tight, music programs are often the first to go.

As it turns out, STEM programs could actually save music programs.

That's Kaitlyn Hova's great idea.

Kaitlyn Hova. All photos provided by the Hovas, used with permission.

At 13 years old, Kaitlyn became a professional violinist and toured all over the country. To book more gigs, she created a website and started playing around with code, too. But it wasn’t until a music theory course at Berklee College of Music in Boston that Kaitlyn discovered that she had synesthesia, a neurological phenomenon that connects one sensory with another.

Synesthesia inspired Kaitlyn to change academic paths, switching from music in Boston to neuroscience classes at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, in her hometown. After graduating, she also attended Omaha Code School with her husband, Matt Hova, and created the synesthesia network called a “Facebook for people with Synesthesia” to gather data for her epidemiological studies.

Two years ago, Kaitlyn and Matt began printing shapes and stationery and eventually full instruments on a 3D printer.

They stumbled past an Instagram post of David Perry's F-F-Fiddle, a full-sized violin printed with a 3D printer, which inspired the tech-savvy couple to design and 3D-print a violin of their very own. Over the next year and a half, after creating over 60 failed models, the Hovas experimented their way to a 3D-printed, fairly cheap violin that they called the Hovalin 2.0.

The Hovas with their Hovalins.

The best part? Kaitlyn and Matt want to use their invention to help save music programs.

Their idea is that kids in STEM programs could 3D-print instruments in class, thereby saving music programs and lowering each school's costs (the instruments would be free!). Right now, they're working with school districts to raise enough money to put 3D printers in schools all over the U.S., hoping to kickstart the idea into action.

"After making the [Hovalin], we realized it could be really wonderful thing to try to help out with music programs," Kaitlyn explains. "Maybe they have a good STEM program going on, but their music program is losing funding."

"It's so empowering for kids to see they can make something out of software," Kaitlyn said. "I think it makes it more accessible."

The Hovas are not the first and probably won't be the last to create a 3D-printed violin. But they are the first to use their invention for good in this particular way.

The best part is that this solution is relatively simple but full of creativity and possibility. Plus, a recent study shows that kids benefit from music training as much as from basic classes, like mathematics.

As a former music student from a school with an at-risk music program, the Hovas' awesome intentions struck a chord with me. We need more simple, effective solutions like these for our kids. Here’s to hoping the program takes off!

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If this doesn't inspire you, check your pulse; you might be dead.

Itzhak Perlman is a virtuoso violinist with a distinct style of playing. As a child, he had polio so he plays the violin sitting down. Perlman has 15 Grammys and four Emmys and is widely considered to be one of the world's greatest living violinists.

One recent television appearance though did wonders for broadening his fan base. After playing on "The Colbert Report," thousands of viewers jumped online to find out more about the charismatic musician and liked him on Facebook. Of course he plays beautifully, but what's special about this video is that it reached and touched an audience who would never normally hear his work. That's the genius of Stephen Colbert and Itzhak Perlman. Enjoy!

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