Pathfinder:  The Holocaust

Table of Contents

 
Photo credit: Main Commission for the Investigation of Nazi War Crimes, courtesy of USHMM Photo Archives. 
One of the most famous pictures of the Holocaust. German stormtroopers force Warsaw ghetto dwellers of all ages to move, hands up, during the Jewish Ghetto Uprising in April-May 1943. 
Overview Materials   

Back to Top

General Purpose

The purpose of this pathfinder is to serve as a starting point for research on the Holocaust for high school students and college students; however, the information can also be used by teachers, and the general public. This pathfinder contains a variety of print, multimedia, electronic databases, and Web resources. The amount of material available on the various aspects of the Holocaust can be overwhelming. While this pathfinder includes examples of each type of source, it is, by no means, exhaustive.
Back to Top

Scope

In addition to the Web sites listed, this pathfinder provides a guide to electronic and paper resources available through the Tulsa City County Library System, <www.tulsalibrary.org>. Some resources are available only at  TCCL branches, others are available from the library’s Web site. Still other resources are listed which may be requested by interlibrary loan.
Back to Top

 Introduction

The word “holocaust” literally means “massive destruction by fire.” The Holocaust now
refers to a specific event in 20th century history and has come to signify the destruction of
millions of European Jews, gypsies, homosexuals, political opponents, the mentally ill, and
other so-called “undesireables” from the1930’s to 1945. In 1933, approximately nine
million Jews lived in the 21 countries of Europe that would be occupied during World
War II. By 1945, two of every three European Jews had been killed. The Nazi Regime of
Adolph Hitler carried out this systematic destruction of an estimated six million Jews and
five million other “undesireables.”

Although historians often disagree among themselves on what happened and when, the
Holocaust has become one of the most extensively documented subjects in history. And
even though professionals in the field of Holocaust studies often disagree on the
interpretation of events and on what emphasis to place them in the context of world and
Jewish history, a study of the Holocaust can provide universal lessons about human nature
and society. For example, American history also contains disturbing chapters of genocide
and mistreatment of  “different” groups of people: the American Indians, slaves, and
Japanese-Americans. World-wide there continues to be incidents of genocide and “man’s
inhumanity to man”: Apartheid in South Africa, the Pol Pot regime in Cambodia,
poisonous gas attacks on civilian populations by Iraq, and the tribal wars in Rwanda and
Burundi, to name just a few. Unfortunately, these incidents are not just chapters in history
books, but front-page daily headlines. Thus, a study of the Holocaust can be an
examination of tyranny and injustice and, perhaps, the lessons learned could be applied to
today’s situations and provide solutions so that, truly, such things might be “never again.”

Back to Top


 Discussion of Narrowing topic for a research paper/project
You may think you have a topic for your paper -- the Holocaust-- but
what you really have is a subject heading. Here are the terms you could use to do a subject
search in a library catalog to find available resources. These headings are to help you as
you think about narrowing and focusing your topic for your paper. For a basic
introduction to the subject, look at the section labeled: Overview Materials. The subject of the Holocaust seems to traditionally be divided into the following
categories:
 
Timeline 
Nazi Rise 
Nazification 
Ghettos 
Camps 
Resistance 
Rescue 
Aftermath
People 
Victims 
Perpetrators 
Bystanders 
Resisters 
Rescuers 
Liberators 
Survivors
Arts 
Literature 
Music 
Visual Arts
A close look at any aspect of one of these sub-categories could yield enough information for a great paper.

Back to Top
Discussion of Sources: Generally, a mixture of primary and secondary source
material is used in research papers at the college level. High school papers tend to
focus more on secondary materials.
Primary Sources: Primary sources are original documents written or created thatare useful in historical analysis. These may include statistics, diaries, and letters.

Secondary Sources: Secondary source material are books that pull information
from primary sources. biographies, texts, and non-fiction works fall into this category.

Other Sources:  More than 50 years after the Holocaust, it's still possible to find survivors and liberators to interview about their experiences. Visits to museums and other educational institutions could lead to a wealth of material.
Evaluating Sources:  Researchers need to distinguish between fact,opinion, and fiction; between primary and secondary sources, and between types of evidence such as court testimonies, oral histories, and other written documents.Consider why a text was written, who the intended audience was, whether there were any biases inherent in the information, any gaps in discussion, whether any gaps in certain passages were inadvertent or not, and how the information has been used to interpret various events. Because scholars often base their research on different bodies of information, varying interpretations of history can emerge. Consequently, all interpretations are subject to analytical evaluation. As you practice this type of questioning, you will become a researcher who evolves into a reader who discern the difference between legitimate scholars who present competing historical interpretations, and those who distort or deny historical fact for personal or political gain.

Back to Top


Library of Congress Subject Headings

 Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
 (May be subdivided geographically)
 Broader Topics  Related Terms  Narrower Terms You’ll also want to look under other terms that might not appear here: concentration
camps; internment camps; The Final Solution; etc.
Back to Top


Dewey Decimal Classifications: These classifications are provided to assist you as you “browse” the shelves to find other print materials related to the Holocaust. As you can see, materials regarding the Holocaust are shelved according to each book's primary purpose.

155- psychological aspects
200-ethical, religious and moral issues
305-human rights issues (ethnic cleansing, genocide)
343-legal issues (e.g. Nuremburg war crimes trials)
809-literature (poems, short stories, essays)
940.5318-historical information, diaries, memoirs

 Back to Top


 Overview Materials

The following reference books can help you answer the basic questions: who, what, when,
and where. These books contain factual types of information and short articles on many
topics related to the subject. Because these books are frequently used, many cannot be
checked out. Make photocopies of the information you need.
Back to Top

Guides to Literature:

The basic purpose of a guide to literature is to introduce the user
to specific sources to help the user conduct research in the subject field. The overarching
subject for the Holocaust is history.

Fritze, Ronald H., et al. Reference Sources in History: An Introductory Guide. Santa
Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 1990.
 An annotated guide which organizes, describes, and evaluates the basic reference
works of interest to historians. Each section covers a type of reference tool or group of
tools, such as guides, handbooks, and manuals; bibliographies; book review indexes;
periodical indexes and abstracts; etc. Emphasizes materials written in English.
(016.9 F919r 1990)

Norton, Mary Beth, ed. The American Historical Association’s Guide to Historical
Literature. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995.
 An annotated guide to selected reference works, bibliographic aids, and general
studies books and articles from every field of historical scholarship. Includes only printed
materials, primarily in English. Divided into sections according to geographic area and
time period. (016.9 A512 1995)

Back to Top

Bibliographies:

A subject bibliography is an annotated list of materials. It can be arranged
by time periods and/or form (i.e. print, non-print, multimedia). Bibliographies are paths to
information found in magazines, books, films, and other forms.

Bloomberg, Martin. The Jewish Holocaust: an Annotated Guide to Books in English.
New York: The Borgo Press, 1991.
 This bibliography presents a selected body of literature on the Jewish Holocaust.
Coverage includes the historical development of European anti-Semitism, the pre-war
background of European Jewish civilization, the Holocaust years, and the war crimes
trials. (016.9405318 B623j 1991)

Cargas, Harry James. The Holocaust: An Annotated Bibliography. 2nd ed. Chicago:
American Library Association, 1985.
 This bibliography of nearly 500 titles includes only books written in English and
published in the United States. The list does include some out of print titles that may still
be found through interlibrary loan. The book also has a research guide for students in the
back. (016.940531503924 C191h 1985)

Schulman, William L. Holocaust Reference Guide: A Comprehensive Listing of
Media for Further Study. Woodbridge, CT: Blackbirch Press Inc., 1998.
 This volume offers a guide to the resources for the study of the Holocaust
available at the time of printing. It incorporates standard works on the subject as well as
some of the latest books and multimedia materials. (016.9405318 S562r 1998)

Back to Top

Encyclopedias:

An encyclopedia is an attempt to gather information from a single subject
area and arrange it, usually in alphabetical order, for ready reference. An encyclopedia will
usually include detailed survey articles, often with bibliographies; short, explanatory
material; brief biographical, historical and geographical data.

Gutman, Israel, ed. Encyclopedia of the Holocaust. 4 vols. New York: Macmillan,
1990.
 This encyclopedia deals in depth with the sources and motivations for all aspects of
the Holocaust. The purpose of the encyclopedia is to provide comprehensive and
up-to-date information on the Holocaust: it’s background, it’s history, and it’s impact.
This reference tool is written by leading scholars and experts in Holocaust studies from all
over the world. (940.531803 E56 1990)

Roth, Cecil, editor in chief. Encyclopedia Judaica, v. 1-16. New York: Macmillan
Company, 1971-72.
 This Jewish encyclopedia is inteneded for both Jewish and non-Jewish readers.
Provides a comprehensive look at all aspects of Jewish life. The article on the Holocaust is
a great starting point for an overview of the subject. (296.03 E56 1971-72)

Back to Top

Handbooks, Dictionaries, and Manuals:

The primary purpose of these types of  materials is to serve as a ready reference source in a given field of knowledge. Some dictionaries are a combination of facts found in an encyclopedia and a dictionary. The text will include biographical and geographical data.

Edelheit, Abraham J. and Hershel Edelheit. History of the Holocaust: A Handbook
and Dictionary. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1994.
 The purpose of this handbook is threefold: 1) To provide the reader with a general
overview of Jewish history during the Nazi era; 2) To tabulate all data on the Holocaust
that can possibly be reduced to a table or graphic; and 3) To gather in one source as many
terms dealing directly or indirectly with the Holocaust as possible. (940.5318 E21h 1994)

Epstein, Eric Joseph and Philip Rosen. Dictionary of the Holocaust: Biography,
Geography, and Terminology. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1997.
 A handy reference book to supplement introductory readings about the Holocaust.
The dictionary has a disciplined focus and is a research tool for serious students of the
Holocaust. (940.5318 E64D 1997)

Back to Top

Atlases:

Atlases are a collection of maps that focus on a particular aspect of geographical
interest. For example, historical, economic, political, and other related matters can be
shown graphically on a map.

Historical Atlas of the Holocaust. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1990.
 This atlas presents in specific detail, the evolution of the Holocaust.
(940.53180223 H629 1996)

Martin, Gilbert. Atlas of the Holocaust; completely revised and updated. New York:
William Morrow and Company, 1993.
 This volume of 316 maps is a comprehensive record of the Nazi’s attempt to
annihilate the Jews of Europe during World War II. (940.53180223 G 374at 1993)

Back to Top


Web Sites

There are a great many sources of information on the Internet; however, the researcher should be careful to determine the authority and validity of the information offered. The following Web sites provide historical resources, articles, and much more. These sites have been viewed and evaluated for the authority and validity of their content, and are, therefore, sources of accurate, and generally unbiased historical fact and interpretation. In addition, these sites provide access to many primary documents and images of the Holocaust. Please Note: The links on this page will take you outside the our web site to information provided by other organizations. To return to the Holocaust Pathfinder click on the "back button" of your browser.

A Teacher's Guide to the Holocaust:
http://fcit.coedu.usf.edu/Holocaust/
This site provides an excellent overview of the people and events of the Holocaust. Extensive teacher resources for Holocaust education are included.

The United States Holocaust Museum
http://www.ushmm.org/
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Web site contains online versions of several of the Museum's exhibits. Visitors can also search a database of historic photographs and display the results. The Museum's Archives and Library are also searchable, but only titles, not the documents themselves, are displayed. Teachers should review the Museum's "Guidelines for Teaching the Holocaust" page.

Cybrary of the Holocaust:
http://remember.org/
This moving site has images, interviews, children's essays and artwork, and discussion forums. Also included are online books by survivors, education resources, and much more. This site is maintained by Michael Dunn.

The Nizkor Project
http://www2.ca.nizkor.org/index.html
"A collage of projects focused on the Holocaust, and its denial." This site ncludes FAQs, Features, Holocaust Web Project, Holocaust Search Engine, and Shofar FTP Archives.

The Holocaust/Shoah Page
http://www.mtsu.edu/~baustin/holo.html
This well-organized site includes sections on Organizations, Archives & References, Personal Responses, Educational Projects & Tools, List & Conference Archives, Survivors & Rescuers, and The Third Reich. The listing of archives & references is especially useful. This site is maintained by David Dickerson.

The Mining Company/Holocaust
http://holocaust.miningco.com/education/history/holocaust/
This excellent site "features original articles about the Holocaust, a bulletin board and chat room for online discussion, a timeline, a glossary, and a continually growing collection of annotated links for research and study." This site is maintained by Jennifer Rosenberg.

The Jewish Student Online Research Center
http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/holo.html
A nice listing of links, this site also includes some documents.

H-Holocaust Home Page
http://www.h-net.msu.edu/~holoweb/
This site exists so scholars of the Holocaust can communicate with each other using this innovative and exciting new technology, and makes available diverse bibliographical, research and teaching aids. Includes archives of all past discussions, review projects, academic announcements, resources, and Internet links. The links are more academic than those listed in the Cybrary of the Holocaust.

The Holocaust History Project
http://www.holocaust-history.org/
"The Holocaust History Project is a free archive of documents, photographs, recordings, and essays regarding the Holocaust, including direct refutation of Holocaust-denial."

Back to Top


 Books:
These monographs take various aspects of the Holocaust and provide in-depth studies. These books can provide access to different points of view and in-depth analysis. If you don’t see a particular book on your topic, don’t panic. Check out the table of contents and indexes of books on similar subjects. Your topic may be a chapter in a book or may be covered in-depth within a book on another subject.

Bauer, Yehuda and Nili Keren. A History of the Holocaust. New York:
Franklin Watts, 1982.
This work examines the origins of anti-Semitism and Nazism as well as the history of Jewish-German relationships. One of the most readable general histories for high school students. (940.53150392 B326h 1982)

Baynes, Norman H., ed. Speeches of Adolf Hitler. London: Oxford UP, 1942.
This work includes translated extracts from Hitler's major speeches. (This work would need to be requested by Interlibrary Loan)

Berenbaum, Michael, ed. Witness to the Holocaust: An Illustrated Documentary History of the Holocaust in the Words of its Victims, Perpetrators and Bystanders. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1997.
This collection of documents, letters, diaries, and testimony presents in detail the evolution of the Holocaust. (940.5318 W7811 1997)

Berenbaum, Michael. The World Must Know: The History of the Holocaust
as Told in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Boston, MA: Little, Brown, 1993.
 This comprehensive work, written by the project director of USHMM, tells the story of the Holocaust with words and photographs. It can be used in conjunction with a museum visit or on its own. (940.5318074753 B451w 1993)

Bhom-Duchen, Monica, ed. After Auschwitz: Responses to the Holocaust in Contemporary Art. Sunderland: Northern Centre for Contemporary Art, 1995.
This volume contains representations of artwork from the camps and Holocaust art for the following fifty years. It includes artists' statements and documented essays. (704.03924 A258 1995)

Cohen, Arthur A., ed. Arguments and Doctrines. New York: HarperCollins, 1970.
A Jewish theologian has collected essays from the 1960’s on Jewish thinking following the Holocaust. (296.08 C66 1970)

Conot, Robert E. Justice at Nuremberg. New York: Carroll & Graf, 1984.
 Details and preparation for the Nuremberg Trials are discussed. (341.6902684321 C763j 1984)

Davidowicz, Lucy S. The War Against the Jews: 1933-1945. New York: Bantam Books, 1986.
This book is probably the best general introductory work on the Holocaust currently available. The central theme of Nazism was its anti-Semitism. The author poses this question: How was it possible for a modern state to carry out the systematic murder of a whole population. (940.5315039 24 D322w 1986)

De Pres, Terrence. The Survivor: An Anatomy of Life in the Death Camps.
New York: Oxford University Press, 1976.
 The stories of survivors of the death camps are analyzed in an attempt to understand  what these people endured and how they survived. (940.5472 D46 1976)

Dinnerstein, Leonard. America and the Survivors of the Holocaust. New York: Columbia University Press, 1982.
The fate of the Jewish displaced persons following the end of the war is the subject of this book. An interesting look at Americans’ duality of indifference and generosity. (325.73 D617am 1982)

Engelmann, Bernt. In Hitler's Germany: Everyday Life in the Third Reich.
New York: Pantheon Books, 1986.
 This Holocaust survivor uncovers the details of "normal" life under Hitler. (943.086 E57i 1986a)

Ezrahi, Sidre De Koven. By Words Alone: The Holocaust in Literature. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1980.
The author examines post-Holocaust literature in the framework of a “Jewish Lamentation tradition.” She observes that the Lamentation tradition is rooted in scripture, that the center of reference is the people and history of Israel, and that the Holocaust is perceived as a formative historical event. (809.93358 E99b 1980)

Fleming, Gerald. Hitler and the Final Solution. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1984.
Fleming pays attention to detail and uses documents and interviews to prove his thesis: Hitler not only knew of but initiated the attempt to annihilate European Jewry. (940.531503924 F629h 1984)

Frank, Anne. The Diary of a Young Girl. New York: Pocket Books, 1958.
This book is probably the best known eye-witness account of the Holocaust, written by a young Dutch girl who spent two years hiding in an attic from the Gestapo. (940.5315 F85a 1958)

Friedlander, Albert, ed. Out of the Whirlwind: A Reader of Holocaust Literature. New York: Doubleday and Co., 1968.
This anthology contains excerpts by Elie Wiesel, Alexander Donat, Primo Levi, and others. It includes memoirs, reflections, imaginative literature, music and poetry. (808.803 F91 1968)

Friedlander, Henry. The Origins of Nazi Genocide: From Euthanasia to the Final Solution. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 1995.
This book examines how the Nazi program of secretly eliminating the mentally and physically disabled evolved into the systematic destruction of the Romani and the Jews. (943.086 F913o 1995)

Friedlander, Saul. Nazi Germany and the Jews, Volume 1: The Years of Persecution, 1933-39. New York: HarperCollins, 1997.
Making extensive use of new documentation, Friedlander shows how one the world’s most culturally and industrially advanced nations embarked on a path that led toward the extermination of the Jews. One of the most important works on the subject to date. (940.538 F913n 1997 v. 1)

Gilbert, Martin. A History of the Jews in Europe during the Second World War.
New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1986.
Gilbert combines historical narrative with personal testimonies. An invaluable tool for providing supplementary material on any aspect of the Holocaust. (This book would need to be requested by interlibrary loan)

Gordon, Sarah. Hitler, Germans, and the “Jewish Question. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1984.
This study covers the background of Nazi racial policies and the development of a radical, racial anti-Semitism starting in the Weimar period. (305.8924043 G658h 1984)

Grant, R.G. The Holocaust. Austin: Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1998.
A new perspective book, this volume begins with the gas chambers and looks back at the early persecution of the Jews in Germany, the Nazi’s rise to power, the concentration camps, and other historical events surrounding the Holocaust. (940.5318 G767h 1998)

Hartman, Geoffrey H., ed. Holocaust Remembrance: The Shapes of Memory. Cambridge: Blackwell, 1994.
Collection of essays on the historiography of the Holocaust regarding testimony and memory. (940.5318 H741 1994)

Helmreich, William. Against All Odds: Holocaust Survivors and the Lives they Made in America. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1992.
This book is the story of Holocaust survivors who learned to live and trust again. (940.5318092273 H369ag 1992)

Hilberg, Raul. Perpetrators, Victims, Bystanders: The Jewish Catastrophe,
1933-1945. New York: HarperCollins, 1992.
 Hilberg includes rescuers and Jewish resisters, but his main focus is on the destruction of European Jewry and those who are responsible for it. (940.5318 H542p 1992)

Kestenberg, Judith S. and Fogelman, Eva, eds. Children During the Nazi Reign: Psychological Perspectives on the Interview Process. New York: , 1994.
This book examines the effect of persecution on children who survived the Holocaust and the effect of indoctrination which led to prejudice. The first section deals with the interview process. The second part focuses on the effect of the interviews on the survivors, and the last section details the effects of listening to such personal histories on the interviewees. (155.935 C437 1994)

Klee, Ernst, Dressen, Willi, and Riess, Volker. "The Good Old Days": The Holocaust as Seen by it Perpetrators and Bystanders. New York: The Free Press, 1991.
This collection of diaries, letters home, and confidential reports written by the executioners and sympathetic observers of the Holocuast is illustrated with numerous photographs they took as "souvenirs" of  their work and "achievements." (940.5318 S371g 1991)

Klein, Gerda Weissman. All But My Life. New York: Hill and Wang, 1995.
This autobiography and testimony of the Holocaust is also a powerful love story. (940.5318092 K672a 1995)

Landau, Ronnie S. The Nazi Holocaust: Its meaning for All the World’s Peoples -- And its Moral, Ethical, and Psychological Implications. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee, 1994.
This book addresses the historical, moral, and educational significance of the Nazi Holocaust. While written primarily for students of history, it is also intended for use by students of psychology, philosophy, sociology, religious and moral studies, humanities, and literature. (940.5318 L231n 1994)

Levin, Nora. The Holocaust: The Destruction of European Jewry 1933-1945. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company, 1968.
This volume is a well-written, popular survey of the Holocaust. Part I is the background and preparation for the “Final Solution” and Part II describes the mass deportations and killings which were the culmination of the “Final Solution.” All European countries are covered. (940.5315 L57 1968)

Lewin, Rhoda G., ed. Witnesses to the Holocaust: An Oral History. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1990.
Transcripts of the testimonies and remembrances of survivors and liberators of the Holocaust death camps are the text of this book. (940.5318 W781 1990)

Morrison, David. Heroes, Anti-Heroes and the Holocaust: American Jewry and Historical Choice. New London, NH: Milah Press, 1995.
What did our leaders know and when did they know it? Whose were the voices trying to sound the alarm? What did they accomplish? These are just a few of the questions the author poses in this volue which sheds light on these and many other questions surrounding the Holocaust. (940.5318 M834h 1995)

Morse, Arthur. While Six Million Died: A Chronicle of American Empathy.
New York: Random House, 1967.
This work takes a critical look at the American response to the events that were unfolding in Europe before and during the Holocaust. (940.5315 M83 1968)

Newton, Verne W. FDR and the Holocaust. New York: St. Martin's Press,
1996.
 Verne Newton examines both the role of the Roosevelt administration in WWII and the American reaction to the Nazis' persecution of European Jews. (This book would need to be requested through interlibrary loan)

Patterson, Charles. Anti-Semitism: The Road to the Holocaust and Beyond. New York: Walker, 1982.
The author’s point is that the Holocaust had its roots in the past. He traces the history of the persecution of the Jews, discusses how the Nazis built on that anti-Semitism, and looks at the post-Holocaust evidence of continued anti-Semitism. (305.8924 P277an 1982)

Rogasky, Barbara. Smoke and Ashes: The Story of the Holocaust. New York: Holiday House, 1988.
This book examines the causes, events, and legacies of the Holocaust which resulted in the extermination of the Jews. (940.531503924 R63s 1988)

Rosenfeld, Alvin. A Double Dying. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1980.
The author’s thesis is that Holocaust literature should be read on moral grounds as well as artistic. He applies this thesis to literature he considers to have merit (e.g. writings of Wiesel and Levi) and to literature he considers “inauthentic” (e.g. Sophie’s Choice). (809.933 R724d 1980)

Tolly, Nelly. When Memory Speaks: The Holocaust in Art. Westport, CT: Praeger, 1998.
This volume is collection of artwork created during the Holocaust and after with accompanying essays. (704.9499405318 T577w 1998)

Rothchild, Sylvia, ed. Voices From the Holocaust. New York: New American Library, 1981.
 This work is a collection of Jewish survivor accounts discussing life before, during, and after the Holocaust. (943.086 V87 1981)

Welch, David. The Third Reich: Politics and Propaganda. London:
Routledge, 1993.
 David Welch explores Nazi propaganda and the various public reactions to it, and arrives at certain conclusions about the effectiveness, and limitations, of Hitler's manipulation of the masses. (This book would need to be requested through interlibrary loan)

Yahil, Leni. The Holocaust: The Fate of European Jewry, 1932-1945.
New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.
 Material is grouped into three broad time periods. Major emphasis is placed on Hitler's "Final Solution."  (943.5318 Y1h 1991)

Back to Top


Periodicals:

Periodicals can contain either general subject matter like that contained in Time or Newsweek, or specialized subject matter such as the Holocaust like those listed below.

British Journal of Holocaust Education
Christian Jewish Relations
History and Memory: Studies in Representation of the Past
Holocaust and Genocide Studies
Holocaust Studies Annual
Patterns of Prejudice
Simon Wiesenthal Center Annual
Yad Vashem Studies

Back to Top


Electronic Databases:

The Tulsa City County Library provides access to several full-text electronic print databases. These print sources include periodicals, serials, journals, and certain reference works. The following databases are those which could be useful for locating information on the Holocaust.

INFOTRAC is a database which includes full-text articles. This database can be accessed in the library by clicking on “Sources For Doing Research.” It is also available on the Web at <www.tulsalibrary.org> Again, click on “Sources For Doing Research,” click on the button which indicates you are accessing the databases from outside the library. Click on INFOTRAC and  enter your name and library card number at the prompt. The authorization number is 100141541. Within INFOTRAC, The Expanded Academic Database is an excellent source for scholarly articles. The following subject search - Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) - will yield articles from 1996 to the present. Also conduct the same search in INFOTRAC’s backfile for additional articles from 1980 -1995. If you already have a good idea of how you are going to narrow your topic or are looking for possible topics for a narrower focus, then you might find the subdivisions that INFOTRAC has provided for this subject helpful. Also check out the related topics for more information.

Back to Top
The following articles are examples of the types of scholarly works available through the INFOTRAC database. This sampling is very brief given the total number of works actually available. Unless otherwise stated, the full-text of these articles is available through INFOTRAC.

Bosnick, Anthony. “America and the Jews: 1933-1948.” America, Nov 15, 1997 v177 n15 p23(4).
The periodical America kept readers informed of the persecution of Jews during the periods before, during and after World War II. Articles and editorials printed during the 15-year period from 1933-1948 are discussed.

Gerlach, Christian. “The Wannsee Conference, the Fate of German Jews, and Hitler's Decision in Principle to Exterminate All European Jews.” The Journal of Modern History, Dec 1998 v70 i4 p759(1).
Recent research and newly uncovered documents have enabled a fuller appreciation of the significance of the Wannsee Conference, held on January 20, 1942. Evidence suggests that Hitler had decided in early December 1941 to pursue the extermination of all Jews in Europe. The Wannsee Conference was initially intended to resolve differences concerning the treatment of German and western European Jews. The conference was postponed, however, and Hitler's decision concerning the liquidation of all European Jews changed the context, resulting in the beginning of systematic planning for the extermination of Jews in Europe.

Kellenbach, Katharina von. “Breaking the Silence.” ReVision, Summer 1999  v22  i1 p28.
The article describes the exhibition titled War of Destruction: Crimes of the German Army and the controversy it elicited when opening in Munich, Germany. Reasons for interest in this subject, the psychological aspects of historical silence, and the role of ordinary citizens in the Holocaust are explored.

Morgan, Peter. “Bureaucracy of Evil: Quietly and methodically the assets of murdered Jews were disposed of by the Nazis - only now are the records of those
carefully ordered transactions coming to light.” Index on Censorship, March-April 1999 p73(4).
The historical debate about how much ordinary Germans know of the Holocaust have been revived by Dr Wolfgang Dressen's research. It has also emphasized the issue of what sort of details should be released about the recent past, and who should have control of access to such documents. Dressen's exhibition features documents detailing the plundering of Jewish assets. The exhibition shows different stages of the confiscations and how they were a public affair. (this article is not full-text so you would need to make an interlibrary loan request.)

Michaelsen, Jacob B. “Remembering Anne Frank.” Judaism: A Quarterly Journal of Jewish Life and Thought, Spring 1997 v46 n2 p220(9).
 History has relived itself in the publications and documentary film depicting the life of Anne Frank, which brings into focus the concepts of Jewish identity and the horrors of the holocaust. The commemoration of this historical event was made possible by the discovery of Anne Frank's diary, where accounts of Jewish struggles and persecutions can be noted. Attempts have been made to analyze the main reason which led to the holocaust, and arguments have been raised on its implications on the centrality of Judaism.

Motola, Gabriell. “Children of the Holocaust.” TriQuarterly, Spring-Summer  1999 i105 p209(2).
Those who were children during the Jewish Holocaust of 1939-1945 remember their experiences of the dead and the dying bodies quite differently from those who were adults at that time. For example, Simon Srebnick, who relates his experience in the film 'Shoah,' considered his job of feeding the dead bodies to the ovens as something that is normal because he did not understand then what he was doing. Other children of the Holocaust such as writers Norman Manea and Danilo Kis relate similar experiences.

Peterson, Merrill D. “Responding to the Holocaust.” The Virginia Quarterly Review, Wntr 1999 v75 i1 p151(1).
The first official international response to the 'Holocaust' way before it was given a name was in the Nuremberg War crimes trial of 1945-1946. The terms 'crimes against humanity' and 'genocide' were coined by the tribunal but the specific crime that had been committed against the Jews was not on trial at Nuremberg. Crimes against humanity and the crime of genocide are generic crimes. However, the magnitude of the Jewish tragedy is unprecedented in history and called for a proper noun to designate it. Many books on the Holocaust have been published but they are rituals of remembrance. It may well be true that those who remember too well imperil the future. (This article is not full-text so you would need to make an interlibrary loan request.)

Teichman, Milton. “How Writers Fought Back: Literature from the Nazi Ghettos and Camps.” Judaism: A Quarterly Journal of Jewish Life and Thought, Summer 1998 v47 i3 p338(1).
Many Jewish writers living in ghettos and camps during the Holocaust documented the crimes committed by the Nazis and the sufferings that Jews went through in the hope that future readers of their writings would seek justice after the war. Their literary activities disproves the thinking that Jews responded with passivity, paralysis and submission to Nazi terrorism. Although their writings did not diminish the powers of the Germans and saved the Jewish people, they provide irrefutable evidence to the destruction wrought by the Nazis to the Jews.

Wajnryb, Ruth. “The Holocaust as Unspeakable: Public Ritual versus Private Hell (reprinted from Generation: Australian Jewish Life and Thought, vol. 6.3, 1997) Journal of Intercultural Studies, April 1999 v20 i1 p81.
None of us coming to the Holocaust afterwards can know these events outside the ways they are passed down (Young, 1988, p. vii)
This article concerns the unspeakability of the Holocaust. Using a linguistic lens, it approaches the survivor's act of telling about the Holocaust as a speech event. The roles of speaker and listener are `unpacked' in order to demonstrate that there is an essential frailty built into the role relationship of teller and listener. It is argued that proximity to the experience of the Holocaust makes the attempt-to-tell a highly personal and essentially fraught event, which can easily dismantle and disintegrate into incommunicability. It is expected that the passage of time will render the event less personal and more public: as time moves the Holocaust into the arena of public knowledge, telling will become more ritualized and more safely communicable. The article places particular emphasis on the impact on the second generation of Holocaust survivors' attempts-to-tell.

Young, James E. “Toward a received history of the Holocaust.” History and Theory, Dec 1997 v36 n4 p21(23).
This article examines both the problem of so-called postmodern history as it relates to the Holocaust and suggests the ways that Saul Friedlander's recent work successfully mediates between the somewhat overly polemicized positions of "relativist" and "positivist" history.  What can be done with what Friedlander has termed "deep memory" of the survivor, that which remains essentially unrepresentable? What shall we do with the living memory of survivors? How will it enter (or not enter) the historical record? The author attempts to extend Friedlander's insights toward a narrow kind of history-telling called "received history" - a double-stranded narrative that tells a survivor-historian's story and the reader’s own relationship to it. Together, they would compose a received history of the Holocaust and its afterlife in the author's mind - my "vicarious past."

Back to Top


NOTE: The following electronic databases are available at any of the Tulsa City County Library branches. Click on the “Sources for Doing Research,” then click on the Icon for the database you wish to use.

CQ Researcher is a full text weekly publication (online) that covers the most current and controversial issues of the day with complete summaries, insight into all sides of the issues, bibliographies and more. Users may search by keyword for articles dating to November 1991. Try the keyword “holocaust” and you’ll get approximately 20 results. The most promising is an issue dealing with reparations and restitution for Holocaust victims and their families.

Electric Library is a full-text database which searches in six categories: magazines and journals; newspapers and newswires; TV, radio, and government transcripts; books, reports, and reference collections; photographs and images; and maps of the world. Content includes technology and science, current events, health, business, general interest, and children’s materials.

Back to Top
SIRS Researcher is a database which contains full-text articles on social, scientific, health, historic, economic, business, political and global issues, as well as sections on today’s news, World Almanac extracts, and maps of the world. The following are samples of the types of articles available:

Brown, Cherie. “Beyond Internalized Anti-Semitism:  Healing the Collective Scars of the Past.” Tikkun, A Bi-Monthly Jewish Critique of Politics, Culture and Society, March/April 1995, pp. 44-46.
The author discusses the psychological effects of “remembering” centuries of persecution and, in particular, the Holocaust on children a generation or two removed from the event. She posits that her generation is blinded to the “possibility” of the present because of the fear of the past.

Gilbert, Martin. “The Unfinished Business of the Holocaust.” Jerusalem Post, April 27, 1990, p. 10.
The author makes a plea for continuing the work of gathering the testimonies and stories of survivors and victims of the Holocaust, as well as gathering the names of all the victims.

Leipciger, Nathan. “Remembering the Holocaust: A Concentration Camp Survivor Recalls His Liberation.” Maclean's Magazine, Jan. 23, 1995, pp. 22-23.
Toronto Consulting Engineer Nathan Leipciger, 65, and his father, Jack, endured three months in Auschwitz, the first in a series of  concentration camps to which they  were sent. His mother, Leah, and sister, Blima, perished there. In this reminiscence, Leipciger chronicles the last four months of his Incarceration before the Allies forced Germany's surrender on May 7, 1945.

Back to Top


Government Documents:

The federal government is one of the largest publishers in the world. Researchers can locate many valuable sources on a variety of topics. The following list is a sampling of government publications related to the Holocaust.

Ringelheim, Joan, ed. Oral History Interview Guidelines. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 1998.
Oral history interviews provide glimpses into the history of the Holocaust that cannot be obtained from documents or written records. This guide provides practical help in conducting oral history interviews to supplement textual documents. (Y3.H 74:8 H62)

US Holocaust Memorial Council. Night of Pogroms: “Kristallnacht” November 9-10, 1938.
This booklet is intended for the student or layperson who seeks to understand this event and its historical significance. It includes a brief historical background, primary documents, a brief bibliography and filmography. Included are Nazi government official actions, responses of US diplomats in Germany, eyewitness accounts of victims, and public reaction in the United States -- politicians, educators, religious leaders, etc. (Y3.H 74:2 P75)

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Teaching About the Holocaust: A Resource Book for Educators.
This booklet includes teaching guidelines, an annotated select bibliography, an annotated videography, FAQ’s, a historical summary, a section of children and the Holocaust and a chronology. It provides a brief overview of the Holocaust that anyone could use. (Y3.H 74:2 T22)

Back to Top


Software:

These electronic multimedia resources provide an interactive experience for exploring issues of the Holocaust.

The Complete Maus
By: Voyager Publishing. Media: CD-ROM version for Windows. The Pulitzer prize winning graphic novel about the Holocaust, enriched with conversations with Art Spiegelman, audio interviews of his father, and other original documents from which this work is evolved. (Available: Tulsa City County Library)

Historical Atlas of the Holocaust
By: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM). Media: CD-ROM version for Windows. Experience the sights and sounds of the Holocaust through this interactive CD-ROM Examine maps of countries, ghettos, and forests. More than 230 full-color maps with accompanying text chronicle the history of the war from 1933 to the make-up of postwar Europe in 1949-50. (Although not available through TCCL, we decided to list this item which might be available from other sources.)

The Holocaust
By: Quanta Press CD-ROMS. Media: CD-ROM version for Windows. Graphic documentation of the shocking conditions discovered by the Allied soldiers who liberated the concentration camps. In the foreground: mind-searing photographs from more than 15 camps, each photo explained by a brief caption. In the background, original Holocaust-themed artwork by modern-day artists. Also, archival newsreel footage (with the original soundtracks) looks at Gestapo methods, the "Paris torture chambers," forced evacuations, the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, prewar Nazi activities, and scenes from the Nuremberg trials. A text reference section contains a wealth of original documents, including interviews with liberating soldiers, correspondence from camp prisoners ("letters from the doomed"), and the Nuremberg Tribunal Report. Finally, a slide show of photos illustrates "Jacob's Song," an original song about the Holocaust by composer Jerry Rau. All photos and text can be printed out or copied to the clipboard. (Although not available through TCCL, we decided to list this item which might be available from other sources.)

Lest We Forget: A History of the Holocaust
By: Endless Interactive, Logos Research Systems. Media: CD-ROM version for Windows. Lest We Forget: A History of the Holocaust is a powerful testimony to an event in history which cannot be comprehended but must be retold. Rare archival film footage, historical speeches, original music and documentary photographs elicit powerful emotions which writing alone cannot achieve. (Available: Tulsa City County Library)

The Yellow Star
By: Kush Multimedia. Media: CD-ROM version for Windows. This CD-ROM tells the story of the persecution of the Jews in Europe from 1933 to 1945. After an introduction by Simon Wiesenthal, the viewer is presented a virtual book with a timeline of events related to the Holocaust. Each page contains a photo, text, and a movie. An index and glossary are also available from the control bar. (Although not available through TCCL, we decided to list this item which might be available from other sources.)

Back to Top


Films/Videos:

These resources can provide a great deal of information regarding the Holocaust. These films and videos are particularly valuable because they put faces and voices to a story that almost defies belief. Although many of these videos are available through the Tulsa City County Library, other titles of interest have been listed so that researchers might make interlibrary loan requests if  they think the material could be helpful to their project.

Au Revoir Les Enfants
Length: 2 hr., Color. Based on the filmmaker's own experiences, this film documents the story of a Catholic schoolboy and his Jewish friend who is being sheltered from Nazi authorities by a courageous priest. In French, with subtitles. (Available: Tulsa City County Library)

The Camera of My Family
Source: Anti-Defamation League, 823 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017; phone 800-343-5540. Length: Documentary, 20 min., Color and B/W. Catherine Hanf Noren discovers family photographs that belonged to her grandparents. Finding the photographs motivates her to research her family history, an upper middle class family that had lived in Germany for two hundred years. This video shows how one family was changed forever by the Holocaust. (this item would need to be requested by interlibrary loan)

Daniel's Story
Source: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW Washington, D.C. 20024-2150; phone 202-488-6140. Length: 12 min., B/W. Photographs, authentic footage, and a child narrator tell the story of Daniel, a young boy growing up in Nazi Germany. This child-centered video helps make the Holocaust more understandable to a school-age audience. (this item would need to be requested by interlibrary loan)

The Diary of Anne Frank
Length: 180 min., B/W. This video portrays the life of a young German Jewish girl, Anne Frank, and her family. They live in hiding for two years in very cramped quarters in Amsterdam. The play is based on the diary that Anne kept while in hiding, which recounts her experience while hiding from the Nazis. Unfortunately, only Anne's father survived the Holocaust; he published her diary to educate the world about the events in Europe. Anne Frank's story is a classic, appropriate for all ages. (Available: Tulsa City County Library)

Europa, Europa
Length: 115 min., Color.  The story of Solomon Perel, a courageous German-Jewish teenager who survived WW II by concealing his true identity and living as a Nazi. In German and Russian, with subtitles. (Available: Tulsa City County Library)

Eyes from the Ashes
Source: Ann Weiss, c/o Eyes from the Ashes, P.O. Box 1133, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010; fax 610-527-9334; e-mail annweiss@dolphin.upenn.edu. Length: 12 min., B/W. This film explores life before and during Hitler's rise to power by featuring dozens of personal photos belonging to families deported to Auschwitz. The confiscated photos remained in Auschwitz until a photojournalist, Ann Weiss, discovered them. (this item would need to be requested by interlibrary loan)

The Führer Gives a City to the Jews
Source: National Center for Jewish Film, Brandeis University, Lown 102, Waltham, MA 02254; phone 617-899-7044. Length: 23 min., B/W.  This video is a restoration of the propaganda film made by the Nazis about the Terezín ghetto. Upon its completion, the director and most of the cast members were shipped to Auschwitz. (this item would need to be requested by interlibrary loan)

Genocide
Source: Simon Wiesenthal Center, Media Dept., 9760 W. Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90035; phone 310-553-9036. Available online from the Simon Wiesenthal Center Museum of Tolerance Bookstore. Length: 83 min. This film combines historical narrative with actual stories of ordinary people caught up in the Nazis' reign of terror. Winner of the 1981 Academy Award for best documentary feature. Narrated by Orson Welles and Elizabeth Taylor. (this item would need to be requested by interlibrary loan)

Heil Hitler! Confessions of a Hitler Youth
Source: Zenger Video, 10200 Jefferson Blvd. P.O. Box 802, Culver City, CA 90232-0802; phone 800-421-4246. Length: Documentary, 30 min., Color and B/W. A former member of Hitler Youth, Alfons Heck, tells the compelling story of how he became a Nazi fanatic. The documentary footage vividly demonstrates how songs, speeches, youth camps, and education turned millions of young Germans into fervent and loyal Hitler followers. Heck is now a US citizen dedicated to Holocaust education. (this item would need to be requested by interlibrary loan)

Holocaust
This television mini-series chronicled the story of Hitler’s “Final Solution.” James Wood and Meryl Streep star in this production. (Available: Tulsa City County Library)

Image Before My Eyes
Length: 90 min., Color and B/W. Life in Poland prior to the Holocaust is the subject of this work. It combines the resources of photographs, interviews and home movies. Everyday experiences such as school, markets, entertainment, and religion are shown. (Available: Tulsa City County Library)

I Never Saw Another Butterfly
Source: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place SW Washington, D.C. 20024-2150; phone 202-488-6140. Length: 30 min., B/W.  Based on the book of the same title, this film presents poetry and drawings of children at the concentration camp. The film is told by "Anya," one of the few children of Terezín who survived. (this item would need to be requested by interlibrary loan)

Liberation
Source: Simon Wiesenthal Center, Media Dept., 9760 W. Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90035; phone 310-553-9036. Available online from the Simon Wiesenthal  Center Museum of Tolerance Bookstore. Length: 100 min., B/W. With a combination of film footage, period music, and radio broadcasts, this video tells the story of the Holocaust from the height of Hitler's power, 1942, to the dramatic liberation of Paris, the Benelux countries and the death camps, through to V-E Day. (this item would need to be requested by interlibrary loan)

The Life of Anne Frank
Source: Films for the Humanities and Sciences, Inc. PO Box 2053, Princeton, NJ 08543-2053; phone 800-257-5126. Length: Documentary, 25 min., Color and B/W. This film provides historical background to the story of Anne Frank. Some topics discussed are anti-Semitism, persecution of Jews in Holland after the German conquest, and concentration camps. The film covers the family's secret existence until it was betrayed and Anne was deported. (this item would need to be requested by interlibrary loan)

Memory of the Camps
Length: 60 min. Documentary footage filmed by Allied Forces cameramen when they entered the Nazi death camps and only recently discovered in the archives of the Imperial War Museum in London. Scenes are from Bergen Belsen, Dachau, Buchenwald, and other camps. (Available: Tulsa City County Library)

Return to Life
Source: Ergo Media Inc., 668 American Legion Drive, PO Box 2037, Teaneck, NJ 07666-1437. Length: 60 min., Color and B/W. This documentary film addresses the problem one and a half million Jews, European refugees, and other displaced persons faced at the end of WWII. (this item would need to be requested by interlibrary loan)

Schindler's List
Length: Approximately 3 hours, Color.  Directed by Steven Spielberg, this film is used to tell the story of Oskar Schindler. Schindler owned a factory where concentration camp inmates were sent to work. While associating  with the Nazis, he secretly hid and saved over a thousand Jews. (Available: Tulsa City County Library)

SHOAH: A Film
Length: Five video cassettes, 570 min. This film, directed by Claude Lanzmann, is considered by many to be one of the greatest Holocaust films ever made. It includes interviews with death-camp survivors and Nazi functionaries; It also shows a present-day view of some of the concentration camps. Interviewees speak in their own languages with a French translation and English subtitles. It was originally produced as a motion picture in 1985. (Available: Tulsa City County Library)

To Bear Witness
Length: 41 min., video, color and B/W. At the First International Liberators Conference in 1981, survivors and liberators from 14 nations gathered to testify about their experiences during the Holocaust. Interspersed with captured Nazi footage and official U.S. Army film, the testimony of these witnesses provides an authentic account of what some nations and their peoples did to prevent the Holocaust, what others did to abet those charged with crimes against humanity, and the lethargic pace at which Western leaders acted to halt the genocide. (Available: Tulsa City County Library)

Triumph of Memory
Source: PBS Video, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314-1698; phone 800-344-3337. Length: Documentary, 30 min., Color. This film is based on survivor testimony and helps to uncover facts about life in the camps. The film is divided into three parts: initiation to the camps, daily life in the camps, and genocide. (this video would need to be requested by interlibrary loan)

We Must Never Forget: The Story of the Holocaust
Length: 35 min., color. The Holocaust is still relevant, according to this program, because we must never forget what prejudice and bigotry can do to people. Driving home its points with vintage photographs and historic news footage, the narration summarizes how Hitler’s “Final Solution” became accepted by the German people. The human consequences of that bigotry are described by survivor and eyewitness Rosa Katz, who tells what she saw in the Warsaw Ghetto and how she escaped death at Auschwitz. (Available: Tulsa City County Library)

Witness to the Holocaust
Source: Anti-Defamation League, 823 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017; phone 800-343-5540. Length: 130 min. (seven 17-20 min. segments), B/W.  This series of videos contains seven volumes, each segment covering a different topic. The segments are 17-20 minutes and serve as a great starting point for class discussions. (this video would need to be requested through interlibrary loan)

Visit the United States Holocaust Museum's videography page for a much more extensive listing. A good discussion of issues related to using videos in Holocaust education is also available at this site.

Back to Top


Museums

Gershon and Rebecca Fenster Museum of Jewish Art, 582-3732. A museum housing and exhibiting one of the three largest collections of Judaica in the Southwest. NCJW Holocaust Education Center is a memorial to victims of the Holocaust containing artifacts of victims and educational programs.


Other

Tulsa Jewish Community Center, 2021 E. 71st St., Tulsa, OK 74136, 495-1111. This organization offers classes, programs, speakers, and services and is open to the community.
Back to Top


Conclusion

This pathfinder attempts to give a basic although fairly comprehensive overview of the resources and tools available to research the Holocaust. These types of materials are available on other subjects, as well. Once you have an understanding of the types of material available, you’ll be able to apply these categories to other research topics. If you have questions not addressed here, please e-mail me. If you have any additions or corrections to this document, please contact me. Enjoy the search.



NOTE:  This pathfinder is to fulfill a requirement for the University of Oklahoma’s School of Library and Information Studies course, LIS 5013: Information Sources and Services, for visiting assistant professor, Dr. Ron Day.  Although this pathfinder may include more information than some librarians may expect, we have tried to meet the requirements of the following assignment:
 
A pathfinder is an ordered collection of resources to a specific topic area. Try to imagine the processes and resources that a student researcher would need in a specific topic area and create a complete resource of electronic and paper resources in that topic area.
By Cris Richardson and Karen Harris
 
Back to Top

CrisCross Home Page | Resume | CrissCross Reference Links |Storytime Resources
Beginning Internet  | Holocaust Pathfinder | Publications | Academic PortfolioAppendix | Site Map

 Copyright 1999.
Last revised: December 2, 1999.
OU Home | Disclaimer | Copyright | Equal Opportunity | OU Web Policy