Sredersas talk at Wollongong Art Gallery

Image: Sydney Jewish Museum’s Resident Historian Emeritus Professor Konrad Kwiet.

Wollongong Art Gallery will host Sydney Jewish Museum’s Resident Historian Emeritus Professor Konrad Kwiet for an expert lecture about Bob Sredersas and his legacy later this month.

Mr Sredersas, who gifted the city a significant number of artworks which helped to establish Wollongong Art Gallery’s collection, was found to be a Nazi Collaborator after an investigation by Professor Kwiet in 2022. The investigation was commissioned by Wollongong City Council after a community member raised questions about Mr Sredersas’ life in Lithuania before he migrated to Australia after World War II.

Read: Wollongong City Council statement on the Sredersas Report

The public talk provides an opportunity for Professor Kwiet to present his findings on the life story of Mr Sredersas including his wartime service. It also examines the challenge of reconstructing history on the basis of fragmented documents.

The talk is being held at Wollongong Art Gallery on Thursday 30 March at 10am. It’s free, but those wishing to attend are being asked to book a ticket through Eventbrite or by calling the Gallery to support seating arrangements.

“I anticipate there will be a keen level of interest from those who want to learn more about the man whose donation of artworks helped establish Wollongong Art Gallery more than 40 years ago,’’ Wollongong City Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery AM said.

“Until recently, we’ve had a very different narrative about the life of Mr Sredersas and, following recent findings, we now have a new perspective about this man that we need to consider. To be able to hear directly from Professor Kwiet about his report and findings is an important opportunity and I encourage those with an interest in this matter to come along.

“Professor Kwiet’s findings will provide detail and explain the type and extent of the Nazi collaboration Sredersas could have been involved in and provided context. I have found him to be a very engaging and informative academic.’’

Wollongong City Council’s Director Community Services, Kerry Hunt, said Council, was grateful for the support of the Sydney Jewish Museum and their efforts to support and facilitate Professor Kwiet’s time in Wollongong.

“The process we went through last year, and continue to work through with the advice and guidance of the Sydney Jewish Museum and the Jewish Board of Deputies, was not an easy one. This is a complex matter and we’re very appreciative of the knowledge and expertise they have shared with Council,’’ Ms Hunt said.

“Council is committed to sharing what we have learnt through this process, and being open and transparent about our new knowledge of the Gallery’s benefactor’s past. This talk provides an opportunity to continue that process in an open, constructive and empathetic way.’’

Professor Kwiet is an esteemed historian and scholar of the Holocaust, with a career spanning almost 60 years. He has worked in universities, museums and research centres around the world, including Washington DC, Jerusalem, Heidelberg, Frankfurt and Berlin. He was the Chief Historian of the Specialist Investigations Unit, Australia’s Nazi War Crimes, from 1987-1994 and has published 10 books and more than 100 articles on the Holocaust.

Ms Hunt said it was important to Council that the event was free to attend, and that it provided the opportunity for our community to learn more about the Holocaust and what it meant to be a Nazi Collaborator in German-occupied Lithuania.

“We made a promise to our community last year to facilitate learning opportunities and knowledge-building about the Holocaust,’’ Ms Hunt said.

“This talk, along with an upcoming exhibition titled Courage to Care to be held at the Gallery later this year, is us meeting that promise and delivering on our commitment.’’

This presentation grapples with some of the most disturbing events in human history. Visitors are advised that some of the images and content within this talk may be confronting.