Profile
Documenting history as the “shop window of democracy”
The Arolsen Archives are the international center on Nazi persecution with the world’s most comprehensive archive on the victims and survivors of National Socialism. We provide easy access to a broad base of knowledge about Nazi persecution, Nazi forced labor, the Holocaust, and the consequences of discrimination and racial hatred. Our collection has information on about 17.5 million people and belongs to UNESCO’s Memory of the World.
Clarifying fates and searching for missing persons was the main focus of our work for many decades. At the same time, we were collecting documents on all the various victim groups persecuted by the Nazis, creating a central archive on the terrible crimes that were committed. As well as millions of stories of persecution, flight, incarceration, and extermination, the archive also contains stories of survival, human kindness, and new beginnings.
Hundreds of thousands of people use our online archive every year to research the fates of victims of persecution. And every year, we still respond to inquiries relating to around 20,000 victims of Nazi persecution, helping families to find answers they have often long been searching for.
Standing up for respect, diversity, and democracy
The work we carry out in the areas of research and education, educating today’s society about the crimes committed by the Nazis, is now more important than ever. As an international center on Nazi persecution, we see it as our responsibility to contribute to public debate on remembrance, antisemitism, political persecution, racism, and the process of coming to terms with the Nazi past.
In order to do justice to these tasks, we cooperate with memorials, archives, and research institutions at international level – and we are expanding our networks all the time. As well as entering into a wide range of project-specific partnerships, we have been involved in the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure (EHRI) for many years. We are also a long-standing Permanent International Partner of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).
The Arolsen Archives were founded by the Allies as the “International Tracing Service” in 1948. In 1952, the then director described the institution as the “shop window of democracy,” underlining the institution’s important contribution to the European order of peace.
By genuinely engaging with young people and their questions, the Arolsen Archives play a crucial role in debates on historical truth and democratic values today.
Floriane Azoulay, Director
The legal basis of our work
The Arolsen Archives operate within the legal framework established by the Berlin Agreement of 2011, which replaced the 1955 Bonn agreement. One of the points addressed in this document is financing: the German Federal Foreign Office provides the funding for the Arolsen Archives. The Federal Archives of the Federal Republic of Germany became our designated institutional partner on January 1, 2013.
The International Commission (IC)
The International Commission (IC) fulfils a supervisory role, ensuring that the work of the Arolsen Archives serves the interests of the former victims of persecution. It consists of government representatives from eleven member states: Belgium, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. The chair rotates between the member states, with each one holding the chair for one year. In 2024/25, it is the turn of the Hellenic Republic of Greece.
Financing
The Arolsen Archives are financed by the Federal Government of Germany, more precisely by the Federal Foreign Office. In 2024, this funding amounted to 18.3 million euros. The institution may also raise and accept funds from public or private sources.
Directorate
Floriane Azoulay is the current Director of the Arolsen Archives. A French human rights expert, she was appointed head of the institution by the International Commission (IC) in 2016. Steffen Baumheier was appointed Deputy Director in 2017.
Virtual tours
A new archive building, scheduled for completion in 2028, will give visitors insights into the collection. In the meantime, you are welcome to take a virtual tour of our temporary archive facility. Join us as we open drawers and files to show you a few of our documents.
