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We investigated how young people comprehend stories of trauma through their immediate expressions after listening to personal testimonies of Holocaust survivors. The material included 747 drawings and 182 texts by 10–16-year-old Swedish pupils from 14 schools. Qualitative analyses and cross-tabulations showed that the testimonies elicited complex patterns of emotions and cognitive processing. Personal testimonies can thus be a powerful way of teaching about historical trauma, although complex cognitive meaning making might often require additional time and adult-facilitated conversation. Also, as the testimonies aroused strong emotions, they should be used in a well-informed way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]