Long Feud Over Access To Nazi Archive

by **havanagilla** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 5:28 am

<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/17/AR2006041701369.html" target="top">Tensions Rise In Long Feud Over Access To Nazi Archive</a>By Craig Whitlock Washington Post Foreign Service Tuesday, April 18, 2006; Page A01 <blockquote>Quote:<hr>BAD AROLSEN, Germany -- Boxed away in a former Nazi SS barracks in this central German town is the core of one of the largest collections of historical documents from World War II. All told, the archive contains 50 million records that list the names of 17.5 million people, including concentration camp prisoners, forced laborers and other victims of the Third Reich. For 60 years, the International Committee of the Red Cross has used the documents to trace the missing and the dead, especially those of the Holocaust. But the archive has remained off-limits to historians and the public, fueling an increasingly bitter dispute among Holocaust researchers, Jewish groups and the 11 nations that oversee the collection. Buy This Photo Udo Jost combs through Nazi-era records in Bad Arolsen, Germany. The International Tracing Service keeps 50 million records from World War II with names of millions of Holocaust victims, war refugees and forced laborers. (By Craig Whitlock -- The Washington Post) Who's Blogging? Read what bloggers are saying about this article. Tildification The Periscope Advanced Blogging Full List of Blogs (8 links) » Most Blogged About Articles On washingtonpost.com | On the web Save & Share Tag This Article Saving options 1. Save to description: Headline (required) Byline 2. Save to notes (255 character max): Blurb 3. Tag This Article The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington and diplomats from the United States, France and the Netherlands are pressing to open the archive to researchers and make digital copies of the collection available for inspection outside Germany. Possessiveness and a refusal to change with the times have kept the records closed, some critics contend. Some German officials and other people argue that disclosing intimate details about the fates of concentration camp inmates and slave laborers would violate their right to privacy. The dispute has percolated for nearly a decade. Unless a settlement is reached within a few weeks, a political brawl could break out next month in Luxembourg at the annual meeting of the commission that oversees the International Tracing Service, as the archive is formally known. German Justice Minister Brigitte Zypries is to meet in Washington on Tuesday about the issue with the director of the Holocaust museum, Sara Bloomfield. Keeping the records closed "is absolutely scandalous," said Karel Fracapane, a Polish diplomat and executive secretary of the 24-nation Task Force for International Cooperation on Holocaust Education, Remembrance and Research. "This is about the memory of the most appalling event in human history and about respect for the survivors today," he said. "It's extremely important for the archives to become open as soon as possible and give survivors and their families relevant information before they die." The International Tracing Service provides a unique window into the Nazis' obsession with documenting all facets of their rule, including lice inspection reports from concentration camps and records of insurance policies that German firms were required to maintain when they used conscripted workers. The bulk of the collection is German papers seized by Allied forces; it also includes meticulous Allied records on efforts to settle refugees after the war. The archive is managed by the Red Cross and financed by the German government. It continues to receive about 150,000 requests a year from people seeking information about missing relatives or confirmation of what happened to them under Nazi rule. In part because of funding cuts from the German government, a severe backlog has developed; administrators said an inquiry into an average case can take up to four years. The service is technically owned by 11 countries: the United States, Britain, Belgium, Israel, Italy, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Greece and Luxembourg. Eight years ago, the governments agreed in principle to open the archives to historical researchers, but they have missed a succession of self-imposed deadlines to do so. Part of the problem is that officials from the countries meet for only a day each year to review the archive's operations. They also require a unanimous vote to take action on most issues. Germany and Italy have resisted proposals for opening the archives, including a plan to share digital copies of the records with each of the 11 nations. German diplomats said they worry their government could be sued if the privacy rights of individuals named in the documents were not protected. (continues)<hr></blockquote> And a <a href="http://groups.google.com/group/soc.culture.israel/browse_thread/thread/436c2c9e5ad4405/749bcabe6b1d78d0%23749bcabe6b1d78d0" target="top">discussion on same</a>

by **blanc** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 2:04 pm

if the records were put in digital form it would be a fairly simple job to protect privacy by changing or obliterating names. wonder what is hidden here - presumably the money trail.

by **havanagilla** » Thu Apr 20, 2006 5:02 pm

I found it hillarious that at the same week "privacy" is invoked to protect nazi perps, the Sun exposed Merkel's arse, thus raising the issue of privacy...in another context. I wanted to post the photo, but I don't know how to do that on this board. -- The reasons offered for the timing - 1. most of the perps are dead. 2. life insurance policies giving rise to class actions, have run the limitation this year. 3. Iran President's inquiries into the veracity of numbers. 4. Israelis ofcourse added more speculations in backtalks (haaretz), suggesting that all the zionist collaborators died by now. (this was raised along the question of - why did Israel say nothing until now ? after all it was a member of the steering committee for 50 years). -- tow years ago a friend of mine went to germany, and requested to use a similar archive re the victims of psychiatric euthanesia. Before gaining access, all users must sign that they will not publish or release names. However, my friend made a memorial for the victims with their names, and was charged with some adminisrative/criminal violation, and was fined and forbidden from using the archives again. He was very upset that the "privacy" of the victims is used against their best interest to be commemorated. He then places all the names in a website, and received many emails and inquiries from relatives of those victims who didn't know what happened. he was a bit of a "local hero" here. However, the SIraeli gov made clear that they are not supporting his actions.

by sw » Thu Apr 20, 2006 9:42 pm

by **havanagilla** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 4:03 am

SW i was asking myself same 2 questions ! We'll just have to wait and see, with regards to MKultra-like experiments. Surely, those who could testify in person are probably dead by now. -- As for the Jewish silence on paperclip...I think this is major issue, and in israel big taboo. The obvious reason is survival considerations, namely, if the jews felt dependent on the USA, they were not going to be too loud about it. Secondly, I am gradually being more convinced that Israel have done its own little paperclip, or took an active role in the US program, which then explains why the lid is so heavy. And I am quite certain that if Israel paperclipped, the americans made it clear that if Israel/jEws rock the boat, the dirty secrets will be exposed both ways, and israel will have much MORE to lose. Because after all, what is worse ? the US doing some dirty business with Nazis or ISRAEL doing it ? (no need to answer). -- The younger generation in SIrael is much less tolerant to those deals, and so I believe the secrets will be exposed at some point not so far from now. This might, and might not, lead to deeper probes into MKUltra-like activities down here. --- not enough people know about the psych/drugs experiments in dachau and other places (mescalin, etc.). And BTW not enough info exists on the Mengele medical projects. THis, in itself is suspicious.

by **blanc** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 4:32 am

it makes sense that US exported paperclips to many of its friends, how to continue with a project causing a minor dust storm on own terrotory - use someone elses.

by **havanagilla** » Fri Apr 21, 2006 5:24 am

from what i've read (nothing official) the Brittish did the field intel in europe/russia, the US financed and directed, and canada was in the usual role of halfway home (bn europe and usa) and doing the oy vay its not so moral, but we have to, part. I suppose, as is the case now, israel was whoring around doing some dirty work for coupons, selling out on all its values including the rights of survivors, and whatever is left of national dignity.

Long Feud Over Access To Nazi Archive

Long Feud Over Access To Nazi Archive

privacy

Re: privacy

paperclip

Re: paperclip

paperclips

Re: paperclips

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