“Life After the Holocaust”
An oral history project documenting the life experiences of six Holocaust survivors from the end of World War II to the present time.
Explore the survivors’ experiences »
“Life After the Holocaust”
An oral history project documenting the life experiences of six Holocaust survivors from the end of World War II to the present time.
Explore the survivors’ experiences »
International Database of Oral History Testimonies
This catalog provides a tool for all those interested in the location of Holocaust oral history collections worldwide. Over 125 entities are listed in the catalog, ranging from major institutions to local community organizations.
Search the catalog »
Personal Histories
The items people chose to take with them as they fled Nazi persecution; a mother’s efforts to protect her child; the atmosphere in ghettos in the aftermath of roundups and deportations; conditions in cattle cars during deportation -- these are among the experiences described in videotaped survivor testimony and textual narratives in this “Personal Histories” section of the Museum’s Web site.
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The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s oral history collection is one of the largest and most diverse resources for Holocaust testimonies in the world. The collection contains over 9,000 audio and video interviews. These testimonies enable students, researchers, and the general public to see and hear the first-hand accounts of those who experienced, witnessed, or perpetrated the events of the Holocaust.
Edited segments of many of these testimonies are incorporated into the Museum’s Permanent Exhibition, The Holocaust, temporary exhibitions, online exhibitions, the Wexner Center, and the Holocaust Encyclopedia.
While many of the testimonies have been collected from other institutions and individuals, over 1,600 interviews have been conducted by the Museum’s own Oral History Branch. These include interviews with survivors of the Holocaust and Nazi persecution, including Jews, Roma (Gypsies), Polish Gentiles, Jehovah’s Witnesses, homosexuals, and political prisoners; they also include interviews with resistance fighters, rescuers, witnesses, collaborators, perpetrators, liberators, postwar prosecutors, and relief workers.
The Oral History Branch has conducted interview projects in Belarus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, and the former Yugoslavia, as well as in the United States.
The Oral History Branch is still conducting a limited number of interviews in the United States and Europe.
Access to the Museum’s oral history collection is available through the Archives Branch.
To search the collection: The public may search the collection of testimonies via the Library and Archives online catalog.
To view and/or listen to Holocaust testimonies: Copies of taped oral history testimonies may be viewed and/or listened to in the Library and Archives reading room by contacting the Archives Reference desk, at (202) 488-6113 or archives@ushmm.org. The Archives Reference staff is available to retrieve oral history interview tapes Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (closed on Federal holidays, Yom Kippur, and Christmas Day). The last pull for archival requests is at 4 p.m. To avoid waiting, researchers are advised to contact the Archives Reference desk in advance of their visit. Arrangements can be made in advance for oral history tapes to be set aside for weekend viewing in the Library and Archives reading room.
To obtain tapes and transcripts: Researchers may purchase a copy of interview tapes and transcripts, when available, depending on restrictions. (See "Permission," below.) You may also request that the transcript be sent as an e-mail attachment, at no charge. To request tapes and/or transcripts, contact the Archives Reference desk at archives@ushmm.org. Find fees for reproduction listed here.
Most oral history interviews are copyrighted. Additionally, an interviewee may have placed restrictions on the use of his/her interview. Researchers should contact the Archives Reference desk, at (202) 488-6113 or archives@ushmm.org to inquire about restrictions and to obtain permission for use.
To aid the public in conducting oral history projects of their own, the Oral History Branch has produced a unique reference tool entitled, Oral History Interview Guidelines.
The Oral History Branch’s 140-page book of interview guidelines provides guidance on many aspects of conducting an interview. Included are step-by-step suggestions for making initial contact with a potential interviewee, conducting research and preparing questions for the interview, and producing finding aids such as transcripts and summaries after the interview. These guidelines are provided free of charge.
View interview guidelines as .pdf »
Get Adobe acrobat »
e-mail oralhistory@ushmm.org »
or call (202) 488-6103
Memory Project
Use the USHMM’s Memory Project as a model to provide survivors with another outlet through which to share their memories. Writing workshops such as those described here can help guide survivors in the production of a document for their family members, as well as for historical archives.
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The Museum’s Oral History Branch is seeking information about the experiences of Holocaust survivors and witnesses. A questionnaire will be sent to individuals who wish to document their experiences. With permission, the information provided in the questionnaire will be made available to researchers. Please contact Oral History at (202) 488-6103, or at oralhistory@ushmm.org to receive our Oral History Questionnaire.
