Search the online archive

The most comprehensive archives on the victims of Nazi persecution should be accessible to as many people as possible. That is why we are putting our collection online.

Whether you are searching for information out of personal interest, for academic or journalistic purposes, or in the context of an educational project, our online archive is open to everyone – anytime. As well as digitizing our own materials, we also work with other archives to digitize many documents from external sources. These are duly marked and fully accessible through our search function. Our digital holdings now include more than 40 million documents – and that number will continue to grow. That is why it is worth revisiting the online archive regularly to see if any new information may be available for your research.

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How to search our online archive

I am still thrilled and moved by the documentation that I have found in just a few minutes… I feel that the direct approach to the online archive gives us, the children and grandchildren of the survivors, an unprecedented path to what was left of their lives… It’s a telescope pointed 3,000 miles and 75 years away, and it’s so important that we look through it.

Assaf Elrom, Lawyer, New York

How to understand the documents better

Not all the materials stored at the Arolsen Archives are self-explanatory: Files from the concentration camp administration, documents on Nazi forced labor, and records from displaced persons camps frequently include abbreviations and terms that are not used any more today. Our e-Guide helps you understand the documents and provides background information on the context in which they were created.

To the e-Guide

Your inquiry about specific persons or topics

Have you already searched our online archive and now want to learn more about what happened to members of your family who were victims of Nazi persecution? Or are you looking for information for a research or educational project? Contact us via our inquiry form.

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Photo: Gollhardt 2014

Cultural heritage awards

UNESCO has included the historical documents and the Central Name Index of the Arolsen Archives in the “Memory of the World” documentary heritage register; and our online archive won the European Heritage Award / Europe Nostra Award in 2020. “The internationally recognized Arolsen Archives are of immense importance. The wealth of documentation adds to the global knowledge of the victims and survivors of Nazi persecution and makes the crimes transparent,” explained the jury.