Research possibilities about Individuals in the Shoah

Research possibilities about individuals in the Shoah

Unfortunately, no full list of the Jewish Victims of the Shoah exists. Anywhere.

In addition, there is no complete list of the Jewish survivors. Anyone wishing to trace an individual in the Shoah or thereafter may need to seek in a variety of sources. Many of these sources can be found at Yad Vashem, but not all of them. Even the documentation at Yad Vashem will vary – some will be easily accessible in the computer, some may require painstaking research.

Pages of Testimony:

The single largest computerized databank in the world of Jews in the Shoah is based on forms, called “Pages of Testimony”, on which survivors, relatives or friends recorded what they knew about the victims. Yad Vashem has been collecting these Pages of Testimony ever since the mid 1950’s. Our databank, which can be accessed in the Reading Room of the Archives/Library Building and in the the Hall of Names, currently contains almost 2,000,000 Pages of Testimony. Anyone who cannot find their relatives in the databank and wish thus to commemorate their memory is encouraged to submit Pages about them.

Computerized lists:

In addition to the Pages of Testimony, the databank contains additional computerized lists, including a list of many of the inmates from of Theresienstadt, a list of Jewish victims from France, and a list of victims from West Germany. From time to time new lists will be uploaded.

Yizkor Books:

The library has the worlds largest collection of Yizkor Books (books of commemoration about specific communities), often published by survivors of the community and often including lists of victims from that community. There are also additional books containing information on some groups of individuals.

The International Tracing Service (ITS, also known as Arolsen):

The ITS is situated in Arolsen, Germany, and since 1944 has collected enormous amounts of archival documentation pertaining to individuals, Jews and non-Jews, during WWII. A sizable amount of the collection exists also at Yad Vashem, in the form of microfilm copies. The part of this collection most often used by researchers is the Master Index, containing index cards with information on millions of individuals. There are no computerized indexes. Researchers can see the microfilm reel that should contain the index cards they are seeking.

Other archival documentation:

The archives hold many thousands of files containing information about individuals. In some cases the information is quite extensive, in others it is sparse. The documentation itself is not computerized, but in many cases information about the documentation (catalogues and indexes) is computerized: the researcher is welcome to order these files and do the research.

Success in tracing individuals depends on a number of things:

1. The existence of documentation (anywhere, or at Yad Vashem).

2. The amount and quality of prior information known to the researcher. The more one knows in advance, the more precise a search can be carried out, and the greater the chances of finding something. Names alone will generally not be enough; dates, places, location, and so on will enhance the search abilities.

3. Proficiency in languages: The documentation exists in many languages.

Genealogical research:

The staff of Yad Vashem is neither trained nor equipped to carry out genealogical research such as the tracing of a family history or the construction of a family tree. However, genealogical researchers are welcome to use our facilities to find sources relevant too their efforts.

Research for purposes of restitution:

Yad Vashem does not deal with restitution, and never has. However, anyone who needs documentation proving they were present at a place or time and so on, is encouraged to seek in our collections. Generally, if such documentation is found, it will be possible to acquire copies thereof.