ARCHIVAL RESEARCH
Here you can read about our research activities at the archives. How we do research at archival centers, look for and identify diaries with the help of archivists and digital tools.
Research Stay at the Archive of the Center for Research on Antisemitism
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The archive of the Center for Research on Antisemitism (Zentrum für Antisemitismusforschung, ZfA) in Berlin
occupies a distinctive place among the archival centers included in the H-Diaries project. Rather than
preserving large collections of original manuscripts, the archive primarily holds copies, transcripts,
and translations of Holocaust diaries assembled for research purposes over several decades. The consultation
of these materials highlighted the importance of archival collections that preserve editorial reworkings.
The research stay of Andrea Löw and Juliane Niklas focused on identifying diaries that could complement the existing inventory while documenting the specific nature of these collections.
Among the most significant documents consulted was a typewritten German translation of the diary of Dawid Sierakowiak, the adolescent diarist from the Łódź Ghetto. The archive also preserves an English translation of the diary of Halina Nelken, who experienced the persecution of Jews as a teenager in the Kraków Ghetto. Particularly remarkable is the fact that this version was translated and annotated by Halina Nelken herself in 1993, offering valuable insight into the retrospective interpretation of her writings during persecution.
Another noteworthy document is a copy of the original manuscript of Richard Marx, who began keeping his
diary in 1939. The notebooks reveal a striking duality in their form:
Marx carefully recorded his personal reflections in the traditional German Sütterlin script, while,
after the outbreak of the war, he simultaneously documented military developments and political events
in Latin script. As a so-called Geltungsjude living in a so-called privileged mixed marriage, Marx survived
the period of national socialism in his hometown of Munich.
The research stay greatly benefited from the careful preparation and generous support provided by the archive staff. We would like to express our sincere thanks to Irmela Roschmann-Steltenkamp and Ulrich Prehn, who assisted us well in advance of our visit, answered our numerous questions throughout the preparation phase, and ensured that the consultation of the collections could begin immediately upon our arrival. Their expertise and thoughtful organization made the research stay exceptionally productive.
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