the people on this list are or were survivors of nazi germany's attempt to exterminate the jews in europe before and during world war ii. a state-enforced persecution of jews in nazi-controlled europe lasted from the introduction of the nuremberg laws in 1935 to hitler's defeat in 1945. although there were many victims of the holocaust, the "international commission on holocaust era insurance claims" (icheic) defines a holocaust survivor as, "any jew who lived for any period of time in a country that was ruled by the nazis or their allies."