Monday, 4th November 2024, 6–8 PM, Hanna Lehun, Arolsen Archives "Preservation of Heritage / Destruction of Heritage: Ukrainian Microarchives Under War Conditions"
During the russian invasion of Ukraine, archives and cultural heritage were severely damaged and lost. Arolsen Archives' research shows that the destruction of historical documents was often deliberate and premeditated.
The so-called micro-archives - small collections of museums, local initiatives or even family archives - often did not survive the russian occupation. They contained some unique and important documents on local history that may never be recovered or properly documented, including various aspects of Nazi persecution during the Second World War.
Damage limitation efforts include digitizing and preserving the remaining collections. Collaborations such as the one between the Arolsen Archives and the Ukrainian non-governmental organization After Silence focus on the digitization of “micro-archives”, especially on Nazi crimes in Ukraine.
This lecture will also deal with what can be found in such collections, why these documents could be important for German researchers and what such personal documents look like.