Holocaust Records - WW II

- Access to -

Jan/2007

The collection of information concerning the holocaust victims and survivors is held by the International Red Cross in Bad Arolsen Germany.

Gaining access to this data in the past has been very restrictive for many good reasons.

However, currently there is an organized effort underway to make these records more readily available.

The Red Cross's name for these records and the administration and use of them is "International Tracing Service" or ITS.

The 11 countries who oversee the functions of the ITS have decided to provide each country with an electronic copy of the archived records collection [50 million plus items].

Those countries are, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, United Kingdom, and the United States.

Each country will be allowed to individually develop access controls to these records.  It is felt that there will be a serious relief from the hardcore access controls exercised to this archives in the past.

As of this date, it is difficult to know just how eased the US controls will be, but we may have the opportunity in the very near future to ensure that our community is heard from - if access is not what we feel it should be.

The U.S. authority who is to handle these 50 million item archive collection for us, will be "U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum" in Washington D.C.

They expect the legal process to be completed next year so these electronic copies of the archive records can be turned over to the 11 countries.

If any reader of this information finds breaking news on this subject, please inform us so we can update this insight.