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.
A Research Visit to the Bergen-Belsen Memorial Archive
The archive of the Bergen-Belsen Memorial occupies a special place in the H-Diaries project due to the site’s complex history.
Originally a Wehrmacht prisoner-of-war camp, the SS took control of parts of the site in 1943, establishing a so-called “exchange
camp” (Austauschlager). Here, the Nazi regime held Jewish prisoners as potential bargaining chips for the release of German
prisoners of war held by the Allies.
From March 1944 onward, tens of thousands of additional prisoners were transferred to Bergen-Belsen from concentration camps near the front lines. By the time British troops liberated the camp on April 15, 1945, at least 52,000 prisoners had died there as a result of the inhuman conditions. For thousands of others, Bergen-Belsen served as a transit point en route to extermination camps.
This history is reflected in the Memorial’s diary collection. The archive preserves original manuscripts of both well-known
and lesser-known diaries, including those of Renata Laqueur and Felix Hermann Oestreicher. Among its treasures is the illustrated
diary of Zsuzsa Schuller-Merenyi.
In addition to originals, the archive holds copies of diaries whose originals are kept elsewhere. These materials are invaluable to
the H-Diaries project, as they enable researchers to locate writings that would otherwise remain scattered across diverse archival
systems.
In some cases, the copies held at Bergen-Belsen serve as a vital link between the place where a diary originated and the
institution preserving the original. The collection thus illustrates how the archival history of Holocaust diaries is shaped by
processes of preservation, reproduction, transmission, and pre-digital archival practices in the form of black and white photocopies
on paper.
One of the most remarkable aspects of the Bergen-Belsen diaries is their linguistic diversity. The Hungarian-language entries,
in particular, highlight the camp’s role as a site where prisoners designated for exchange operations were concentrated. The
research visit also underscored the global significance of the Bergen-Belsen Memorial. It was here that the life of
Anne Frank—arguably the most famous diarist of all—came to an end in early March 1945.
Sincere thanks go to the dedicated team at the Bergen-Belsen Memorial—especially Akim Jah and Silvia Rathmann—whose committed preparation and support made the archival visit so meaningful in every respect.
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