DOCUMENTING LIFE STORIES
The documentation and publication of life stories is of key importance to the National Fund of the Republic of Austria for Victims of National Socialism. In view of the current change of generations it is crucial to document these biographical recollections and make them available to a wider public, both as a valuable historical resource and in order to safeguard the memory of the victims of the Nazis. For many survivors and their families, the publication of their stories is perceived as a significant act of personal recognition.
The National Fund has been publishing the autobiographical testimonies of survivors of the Nazi period since the year 2000.
The online collection contains over 120 life stories in German and English, as well as videos in which Nazi victims relate their experiences.
The National Fund has been publishing the book series “Lives Remembered. Life Stories of Victims of National Socialism” since 2011. The series, which so far comprises five volumes, is distributed to libraries and archives in Austria and abroad and to schools throughout the country, where it can be put to versatile use in lessons.
I thought that I had come to terms with the past and was stunned by how deep my wounds still are. […] But writing it all down started a healing process. I feel that even if no one reads it now, it is on record for the future.
Margit Korn