Initiatives & Projects

The Arolsen Archives are committed to remembering Nazi persecution, the Holocaust and the effects of these crimes. Millions of documents on the victims of National Socialism provide the basis for the work we do. The original documents are kept safe and sound in state-of-the-art archive boxes, but the contents have to be made public. We organize international projects, exhibitions and campaigns to draw attention to the far-reaching importance of our holdings. Examples of our activities include the exhibition on our own history as well as social media campaigns and special exhibitions.

Build a digital memorial with us

#everynamecounts is an initiative of the Arolsen Archives with the goal to build a digital memorial for the persecutees of Nazism. Everyone can make an important contribution within a only a few minutes and stand up for respect, diversity and democracy. Support us!

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Personal possessions of concentration camp inmates

Since 1962, our archive has stored photos, watches, wallets, jewelry and other personal items belonging to concentration camp inmates. It isn’t easy to find the relatives of the people who owned them. With #StolenMemory, we want to give the personal possessions back to the families. Find out more about this project and the resulting exhibition.

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Letting pictures tell their stories

The #LastSeen initiative appeals to members of the public to search for previously unseen contemporary photographs and film footage of Nazi deportations and help scholars identify the people, places and situations depicted. This often requires good regional knowledge and local research. Find out more and help us search!

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Biographical World Map

On the interactive web portal “Transnational Remembrance of Nazi Forced Labor and Migration,” the paths travelled by selected Displaced Persons are shown on a map of the world for the first time. “Story Maps” tell the stories of their persecution and migration.

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With an App through Berlin

Data from the Arolsen Archives have been used to make an app: Marbles of Remembrance takes users on a tour of Berlin from the perspective of Jewish children of the Nazi period. In 2017, the app won the jury prize for especially valuable cultural achievements.

More about Marbles of Remembrance

Learning with documentED

The documentED project focuses on preparation and follow-up for trips to memorial sites. The core component are specially tailored tool kits containing documents from the Arolsen Archives which can be used to prepare visits to memorial sites in class. There are also ideas and tips for planning your own follow-up activities and for setting marks of remembrance.

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