Inquiries by survivors and family members | Internationaler Suchdienst Arolsen

Information for survivors and family members

There is a personal fate behind every document. Even now, more than 60 years after the end of World War II, the ITS is still receiving a large number of requests from victims of Nazi persecution and their family members. To know the exact fate and whereabouts of relatives is of enormous relevance to the survivors.

Founded towards the end of the Second World War, the ITS focussed for many years on tracing missing persons. Although nowadays only a small percentage of the work done is concerned with tracing, the ITS is still able to successfully answer questions about the fate of individuals.

Phonetic Classification

One of the greatest challenges when searching for information stems from the fact that the names of persons, institutions and places were often recorded phonetically, resulting in multiple spellings of the same name. It is virtually impossible to reconstruct the fate of the victims without an in-depth knowledge of all the different variants.

Who can obtain information from the ITS?

ITS is able to provide information for survivors of the Nazi terror and for family members of victims about the incarceration in concentration camps, ghettos and Gestapo prisons, forced labour and camps for displaced persons.

Online Requests

You can fill out a request online and send it to us from our website, or you can download the form and send it to us by post.

Personal Access

If the International Tracing Service holds records about you or members of your family, you can visit the archives in person.