12 Years That Shook the World

Produced by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, this show carries institutional weight that most podcasts cannot match. Across four seasons and 23 episodes, it tells real stories of real people who lived through the Holocaust between 1933 and 1945. The most recent season follows three young Jewish individuals from the town of Eyshishok through Nazi occupation and eventual liberation. Episodes run a tight 24 to 36 minutes, which makes the storytelling efficient without sacrificing emotional depth. Museum historians like Dr. Edna Friedberg and Dr. Lindsay MacNeill guide the narrative, grounding personal stories in broader historical context. The 4.9-star rating from 189 reviews reflects genuine listener appreciation. What makes this show stand out is its focus on choices -- the decisions people made under impossible circumstances, the moments where paths diverged between survival and death. It does carry a content advisory, appropriately, because these are true stories that do not flinch from what happened. The production is polished but never slick in a way that diminishes the material. For anyone looking for a structured, manageable entry point into Holocaust history backed by one of the most important research institutions in the world, this is an obvious starting place. Each season tells a self-contained story, so you can start anywhere that interests you.