Andrew Steiner

Holocaust survivor, sculptor and human rights advocate Andrew Steiner (b. 1933) was born in Budapest. Only six when the Second World War began, he and his family went into hiding. Steiner migrated to Australia in 1948 with his parents and sister. He completed studies at the University of Adelaide in modern European history, political science, English and art majoring in sculpture. 

Steiner has created sculpture for almost 50 years (his first commission, notably, being for a Catholic Church), and for the past 30 years he has taught students about the Holocaust at South Australian secondary schools and tertiary institutions. 

In 2010 Steiner was a Human Rights Awards national finalist, and in 2017 he was honoured with the Order of Australia Medal for his contribution to art and history. 

He was the driving force behind the Adelaide Holocaust Museum and Andrew Steiner Education Centre, which opened in November 2020. The museum aims to educate people about the history of the Holocaust and communicate the importance of compassion and respect. With his late wife Helen, Andrew founded the Remember the Holocaust Compassion for All Foundation to establish a capital fund for the development of the museum.
The Adelaide Holocaust Museum and Andrew Steiner Education Centre (AHMSEC) was launched in November 2020.

The museum has an obligation to preserve Holocaust history to educate future generations through programs that instil human rights and develop ethical and social awareness of young people and the wider community.  AHMSEC invites visitors to engage with themes from the Holocaust and their continuing relevance in contemporary society through the core exhibition, travelling exhibitions, local Holocaust survivor stories as well as education and public access programs.

In an interview with the Jerusalem Post, asked about the future of Holocaust memory in the next decades, Andrew said that he has absolute faith that the memory of the Holocaust will live on to inspire people to be more caring, compassionate human beings. 

 "I have been educating about the Holocaust for 42 years. Having addressed many thousands through university and school presentations and since the establishment of the Adelaide Holocaust Museum —Steiner Education Centre, I am confident that our education program will ensure that the memory of the Holocaust will be maintained," he said.  

The establishment of the Adelaide Holocaust Museum and Andrew Steiner Education Centre (AHMSEC) in 2020 is the culmination of Andrew’s life work towards a fairer, more just and compassionate world. 

“I was inspired to establish the museum to be a centre for compassion, a beacon of light pointing the way against darkness using education as the tool to achieve a fairer, more just and kinder world.” 

Andrew continues to share his story of survival and experiences as part of the museum’s education program.