The documents on Nazi persecution held by the Arolsen Archives are full to the brim with knowledge. In order to make their value more visible, we are busy working on projects and other offerings which make this knowledge accessible and pass it on. New digital formats are especially important here as they can encourage interest in the past. This is essential for today’s society, which has few links with the Nazi era because only a small number of contemporary witnesses are still alive.

Initiatives and Projects

The greater the distance involved, the more important it is to build bridges between the past and the present. The Arolsen Archives present history – and what it means today.

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Learning with documents

Many young people hardly know anything about Nazi persecution, despite being taught about it at school. Clichés and prejudice are widespread in society today. We combat fake news, ignorance and perceived truths with tailor-made education packs for various target groups.

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A Paper Monument

Now recognized by UNESCO as part of the world’s documentary heritage, the documents held in the archive were once a source of hope to people looking for lost relatives after the war. Our permanent exhibition shows how the work of the institution has changed over time, describes the significance of this work then and now and tells the story of how the documents came to Bad Arolsen in the first place. The exhibition opened in June 2019 and throws light on the history of the Arolsen Archives. 

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Bringing history to life

17.5 million names – each one of them is the key to the (hi)story of a real person. The documents show how the victims of the Nazis were arrested, deported and murdered. But they also show how Holocaust survivors tried to rebuild their lives. It is up to us to tell these stories. 

To Living history

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