July 2,2010

ITS offers its services in the Ukraine

The International Tracing Service (ITS) in Bad Arolsen wants to raise awareness of its archives and services in Eastern European countries. This week a delegation from the ITS and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), that manages the activities of the ITS, held talks with representatives from archives, victims’ organisations and research institutes in the Ukraine as well as with the Ukrainian Red Cross National Society. “We can help family members clarify open questions concerning the fate of victims of Nazi persecution”, said the ICRC advisor for the ITS, Udo Wagner-Meige. “We also seek cooperation in the field of research.”

» more at www.its-arolsen.org

July 21,2010

Research on Concentration Camp Prisoners in Salzgitter-Drütte

Victims of the Salzgitter-Drütte satellite camp have been the focus of the recent research conducted by Elke Zacharias and Meike Weth. This week at the archive of the International Tracing Service in Bad Arolsen, the two historians thoroughly examined the documents on the first 50 prisoners who had been transported from the Buchenwald concentration camp to the satellite camp. “I never would have thought that our work at the ITS archive would be so successful,” says the memorial site director Zacharias.

» more at www.its-arolsen.org

July 15,2010

Opening process to be discussed at GSA annual conference

Professor Rainer Hering, Head of the State Archives of Schleswig-Holstein, visited the International Tracing Service (ITS) for one day in mid-July. He wanted to see the latest developments of the archive for himself. On 8 October 2010, he will be taking part in a round table discussion entitled  “Open at Last: The ITS Files in Arolsen”, which will be held by the German Studies Association (GSA) in Oakland, California. “I’m impressed by the changes that took place since my last visit three years ago,” said Hering.

» more at www.its-arolsen.org

July 14,2010

From Kiev to Bad Arolsen

This week Wadim, Sergej and Valentina Martens traveled 1725 km from Kiev, Ukraine to Bad Arolsen, Germany. They made the trip for one reason: to personally thank the International Tracing Service (ITS) staff for reuniting their family with relatives in Australia. “A letter or postcard would not have been sufficient,” said Sergej Martens. “We simply had to come here for our hearts and souls.”

» more at www.its-arolsen.org

July 7,2010

“She never lost her faith.”

Jan van Ommen spent a day at the International Tracing Service (ITS) in Bad Arolsen viewing documents on nearly 200 Dutch women. They had been deported from the Herzogenbusch (Vught) concentration camp to Ravensbrück when the Allied forces moved closer in September 1944. “My mother Rinsje was one of these women,” says the Netherlander.

» more at www.its-arolsen.org

July 5,2010

Project “Remember Us” visits ITS

Gesher Calmenson, founder of the program “Remember Us: The Holocaust Bnai Mitzvah Project” visited the International Tracing Service (ITS) at the beginning of July accompanied by his wife Cynthia and Anna Cremaldi.The three Californians wanted to personally view documents held by the ITS as well as introduce their project. “We are deeply moved by the important work being done here,” said Cynthia Calmenson. “It cannot be an easy task to engage that level of human suffering day after day.”

» more at www.its-arolsen.org

June 29,2010

Segal Family in DP Camp Hofgeismar

Julia Drinnenberg of Hofgeismar´s City Museum visited the International Tracing Service (ITS) at the end of June to research the fate of the Segal family, who were housed in Hofgeismar´s Displaced Persons (DP) camp. “I found the family´s DP registration cards at the ITS,” she reported.

» more at www.its-arolsen.org

August 3, 2010, 2pm - guided tour in English through the archives of ITS

August 5-6, 2010 - visit by a group from the national archives of France

The ITS received 6,419 inquiries in the first half of 2010 which is a slight increase compared to the preceding year (6,124). The growth is mainly to be ascribed to the increased awareness of the ITS in the East of Europe. 5,083 inquiries (preceding year 4.577) came from victims of Nazi persecution and their family members, 771 from researchers (preceding year 897) and 132 from journalists (preceding year 193).

Visitors’ groups and individuals are offered guided tours on the premises of the archive. A regular guided tour takes place every month on the first wednesday afternoon at 2.00 p.m. For organizational reasons, you are kindly requested to give notice of your visit in advance:

» more at www.its-arolsen.org