Complicated restoration - Project to secure files of the Reich Association of Jews
Damaged historical documents of the Reichsvereinigung of Jews in Germany, which were established by the Nazis, should be restored and secured through a pilot project. The cooperation project between the Herzogin Anna Amalia Library, the Federal Archives, and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HAWK) in Hildesheim, according to the Thuringian State Representative in Berlin, has taken on the work for this.
Procedures need to be developed
The Reichsvereinigung of Jews in Germany was established by the Nazis in 1939. The forced merger of all Jewish organizations and communities in Germany served the control of Jewish women and men. Later, the Nazis used membership records for deportations to concentration and extermination camps.
The goal of the cooperation is to make the fragile documents accessible and visible to the public through special procedures, as Michael Hollmann, President of the Federal Archives, stated. Some procedures must reportedly still be developed with the project.
Numerous documents heavily damaged
The Federal Archives possess a total of 850 document folders of the Reichsvereinigung, of which 550 are heavily damaged. Nine of these are to be restored in the first step of the project.
The library and university have already gained experience in restoring heavily damaged library materials. During the fire at the Herzogin Anna Amalia Library in Weimar in 2004, in addition to the losses, numerous folders were partially damaged by fire and firefighting water.
According to the words of Thuringia's Culture Minister Benjamin-Immanuel Hoff (Left), it is possible through the cooperation of the three institutions to research another chapter of the persecution and murder of Jewish women and men in Germany.
The pilot project aims to restore and secure the damaged historical documents of the Reichsvereinigung of Jews in Germany, a creation of National Socialism that controlled Jewish communities. This effort is being spearheaded by a collaboration between the Herzogin Anna Amalia Library, the Federal Archives, and HAWK in Hildesheim.
The collaboration aims to make these fragile documents accessible and visible to the public through specialized procedures, as stated by Michael Hollmann, President of the Federal Archives. Developing these procedures is reportedly still a part of the project.
The Federal Archives houses 850 document folders of the Reichsvereinigung, with 550 heavily damaged. Nine of these damaged folders will be restored as the initial step of the project, drawing upon the restoration expertise gained by the library and university following the 2004 fire at the Herzogin Anna Amalia Library in Weimar.
Through this cooperation, Thuringia's Culture Minister Benjamin-Immanuel Hoff (Left) believes that another chapter of the persecution and murder of Jewish women and men in Germany can be researched and understood better. This historical restoration project in Berlin, Thuringia, and Hildesheim is a significant step towards acknowledging and preserving Jewish history in Germany.
This pilot project serves as a small but crucial step towards Rebuilding and reclaiming a part of Judaism's history in Germany, which was repressed and erased under the rule of National Socialism. It also highlights the importance of preserving religious and cultural heritage for present and future generations.
As the project progresses, scholars, historians, and researchers will have the opportunity to study these restored documents, shedding light on the experiences of Jewish individuals and communities during one of the darkest chapters in German history.
