Yad Vashem Archives World Holocaust Remembrance Center

Overview

The Yad Vashem Archives, located at Yad Vashem – the World Holocaust Remembrance Center on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem, constitute the world's largest and most comprehensive archival repository on the Holocaust. The Archives are the oldest department of Yad Vashem and house over 210 million pages of documentation, more than 131,000 survivor testimonies, over 500,000 photographs, and approximately five million names registered in the Hall of Names.

History and Founding

The Archives began their official activities in 1946, under the direction of Dr. Sarah Friedlander, even before Yad Vashem itself was formally established by Israeli law. The idea for a commemorative project including an archive was first proposed in 1942 by Mordechai Shenhavi at a Jewish National Fund meeting. In 1953, the Knesset passed the Yad Vashem Law establishing the Authority for the Remembrance of Martyrs and Heroes of the Holocaust. The cornerstone for the institution's building on Mount Herzl was laid on July 29, 1954, and the memorial and museum opened to the public in 1957.

Collections and Holdings

The collections encompass individual documents such as letters, diaries, photographs, films, testimonies, and personal documents donated by survivors and families; records of Jewish organizations from before, during, and after the Holocaust; and official documents from Nazi authorities and European governments that participated in the persecution of Jews. The Archives also hold more than 2.8 million Pages of Testimony collected from survivors and relatives since the mid-1950s, all of which have been scanned and are searchable in the Central Database of Shoah Victims' Names. In addition, the institution gained access to the International Tracing Service database of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Since 1989, testimonies have been videotaped; approximately 60% of the more than 131,000 testimonies held are in video format.

Notable Materials Related to Media and Documentation

The Archives hold extensive press documentation and underground journalism produced during the Holocaust, including materials related to the Ringelblum Archive – an underground documentation project led by historian Emanuel Ringelblum in the Warsaw Ghetto. These materials document how Jews under Nazi occupation sought to record and disseminate information about their circumstances.

Access and Usage

Materials may be examined by researchers by prearrangement, in accordance with the Archives Law and Yad Vashem regulations. An online Documents Archive containing over 210 million pages is accessible at documents.yadvashem.org. Yad Vashem is closed on Saturdays and all Jewish holidays.