Celebrating the life of Inge Woolf

Inge Woolf, QSO: Holocaust survivor and former refugee, Inge was born in 1934 in Vienna Austria. In 1938, after the Anschluss, her family left for Prague, and in 1939, for England, where she was raised until moving to New Zealand in December 1957.

With her husband Ronald, she established Wellington’s premier photographic studio, Photography by Woolf. She has been active in many community organisations, including Zonta where she was Wellington President, as well as Arthritis New Zealand, where she was the National President. In 1990, she was awarded the Medal for Community Service and in 1993, she was awarded the Queen’s Service Order for community service in 1992. Inge was a finalist in the 2019 Women of Influence Awards –Community Hero category.

As Founding Director of the Holocaust Centre of NZ, Inge established the Centre with a dedicated group of survivors, refugees, and descendants over 13 years ago. Inge has been a Board member, fundraiser, and educator. She also served on the advisory board of the Anne Frank Travelling Exhibition, with Chair Boyd Klap.

Inge has shared her testimony about her and her family’s experiences with thousands of students and members of the public. She continues to inspire them to be Upstanders, empowering them to know that hate starts small and can escalate with tragic consequences, so be alert and speak out against prejudice and discrimination, as well as never forget the lessons and the victims of the Holocaust.