Updated on May 28, 2019
Gert Berliner packed a stuffed monkey when he fled the Nazis as a child in 1939. He kept the toy for more than a half-century before donating it to a museum, an act that led to a remarkable discovery.
His story got us thinking about what things people take with them when they flee war or other dangers, and we want to put together a collection of stories about the personal objects people hold onto when they are forced to leave their homes.
Since World War II, there have been many conflicts — Syria, Darfur, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Central America, Vietnam and many others — forcing millions of people to be uprooted from their homes and countries. If you have a story about the personal object you, a loved one or friend kept, please share it with us below or here.
Your responses may be used in an upcoming story, on air or on NPR.org. A producer may contact you to follow up on your response, too.
This form was closed on Dec. 9, 2018.
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