HIST3400: Germany from Bismarck through Hitler: Web-Based Digital Collections
This course covers Germany's history from 1848 to 1945 with an emphasis on Germany's involvement in the wars from the Franco-Prussian War to World War II.
Released in March 2000 by the Israeli State Archives, the memoirs of Adolf Eichmann offer a chilling, though self-serving, account of the workings of the Nazi's "Final Solution." Although most scholars dismiss the diary as an attempt by Eichmann to defend or exonerate himself while on trial for his central role in the Holocaust, the manuscript was still sealed in the Israeli archives for 39 years. It was made public at the request of Deborah Lipstadt, a professor at Emory University, who, along with her publisher, Penguin Books, is being sued for libel by David Irving, a British historian whom Lipstadt characterized as a "dangerous spokesman" for Holocaust denial. Under Britain's libel laws, the burden of proof is on the defendant, which means that Lipstadt must discredit Irving's position by demonstrating that he has willfully ignored or distorted the facts. Due to the complicated nature of the trial, it has been heard without a jury, and closing arguments are scheduled for March 13. The Nizkor Project, one of the largest online repositories of primary documents related to the Holocaust, is dedicated to combatting Holocaust denial and has made available the full text of the diary, False Gods, (in German only) in .txt, .rtf, and MS Word formats. Users can also learn more about Eichmann at Nizkor's special section on him. [Internet Scout Project] http://www.nizkor.org/hweb/people/e/eichmann-adolf/
Well-organized collection of links to Western European historical documents that are transcribed, reproduced in facsimile, or translated. The documents are not limited to modern European history. Maintained by Richard Hacken, European Studies Bibliographer, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University.
Europeana enables people to explore the digital resources of Europe's museums, libraries, archives and audio-visual collections. It promotes discovery and networking opportunities in a multilingual space where users can engage, share in and be inspired by the rich diversity of Europe's cultural and scientific heritage. The Europeana portal currently provides access to more than 15 million items. These objects include: Images - paintings, drawings, maps, photos and pictures of museum objects; Texts - books, newspapers, letters, diaries and archival papers; Sounds - music and spoken word from cylinders, tapes, discs and radio broadcasts; and Videos - films, newsreels and TV broadcasts
The Nizkor Project has recently posted a fine paper by Sally M. Rogow, Professor Emerita of the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia. Rogow's paper carefully examines the Nazi state's attitudes and actions towards children who did not measure up to the party's social and biological criteria. [Internet Scout Project] http://www.nizkor.org/ftp.cgi/people/r/rogow.sally/hitlers-unwanted-children
Part of the EuroDocs project at Brigham Young University, this page contains a well-selected directory of links to primary source materials for the history of the Holocaust, with an emphasis on German materials. Please note that many of these online collections have not been translated into English. http://eudocs.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Shoah_(Holocaust)
Vast, comprehensive site designed by Paul Halsall of the University of North Florida collects together an enormous amount of primary source material that ranges over the entire modern period. The site was designed to support the needs of teachers and students in college survey courses in modern Western Civilization, and every major theme in History 102 (The West and the World) is addressed by the documents available here. Well-organized and worth exploring.
Established by the Allied Powers at the conclusion of World War I, the mission of the League of Nations was "to promote international cooperation and to achieve international peace and security." After its inability to prevent military aggression in Manchuria, Ethiopia, and Austria, the League ceased its activities, and was replaced by the United Nations in 1946. Several departments within the Northwestern University Library system worked together to create this fine digitized collection of 260 League of Nations documents, which are organized around three areas: the founding of the League, international statistics published by the League (also available in French), and the League's work toward international disarmament. Users of the archive can search by date, title, or keyword. The site is rounded out with a good selection of related links, including other online collections of related documents at other institutions, such as the Library of the United Nations Office and the Avalon Project at Yale. [Internet Scout Project] http://www.library.northwestern.edu/node/481
Part of the EuroDocs project at Brigham Young University, this page conveniently assembles a large directory of links to primary source materials for the history of Nazi Germany. Please note that many of these online collections have not been translated into English. http://eudocs.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Germany:_National_Socialism_and_World_War_II
"This online exhibition examines the campaign of persecution and violence against the homosexuals of Germany" from 1933-1945. Provides both a general historical overview as well as a timeline built around the experiences of Bauhaus artist Richard Grune. Includes a bibliography and related links. From the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. [Librarians' Index to the Internet] http://www.ushmm.org/information/exhibitions/traveling-exhibitions/nazi-persecution-of-homosexuals
A large-scale translation project headed by Randall Bytwerk, Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences at Calvin College, this online archive collection includes essays, pamphlets, speeches, cartoons, posters, flyers, and other materials. The work of major Nazi leaders like Joseph Goebbels is well-represented here, as well as official publications of the Nazi Party. Citations to the original German language sources is provided for all translations. The collection can be searched or browsed. http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/
Brief page describing the "T-4" program of extermination carred out against children and adults with disabilities. Includes related links and a bibliography. http://www.disabilityhistory.org/t4prog.html
The Harvard Law School Library has approximately one million pages of documents relating to the trial of military and political leaders of Nazi Germany before the International Military Tribunal (IMT) and to the twelve trials of other accused war criminals before the United States Nuremberg Military Tribunals (NMT). The documents, which include trial transcripts, briefs, document books, evidence files, and other papers, have been studied by lawyers, scholars, and other researchers in the areas of history, ethics, genocide, and war crimes, and are of particular interest to officials and students of current international tribunals involving war crimes and crimes against humanity. [Librarians' Index to the Internet] http://nuremberg.law.harvard.edu
Part of Virtual Library History Network (based at the University of Kansas), this site contains an overview of selected on-line resources. The main point of view for selection and critical commentary of links is the quality of contents and scientific character for historical employment. The contents of the catalogue are most concentrated on resources in German-languages countries, but the section Holocaust contains international resources too. Although the main page is in English, most of the material in the directory is in German. http://www.hco.hagen.de/history/index-e.html
The complete 1919 Treaty of Versailles. Linked in are other Internet resources connected to the treaty such as maps, photos, and cartoons. [Librarians' Index to the Internet] http://history.acusd.edu/gen/text/versaillestreaty/vercontents.html
Useful collection of online resource guides to European studies prepared by library specialists in the field. Includes regional, historical, and contemporary sources, texts and text collections, library resources, and book reviews.
Nearly 400 images reproducing two amateur albums of drawings and photographs by Americans serving in France; a series of German photographic postcards; and a French automaker's published album.
This collection, provided by the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, makes available online approximately 1,900 posters created between 1914 and 1920. Most relate directly to the war, but some German posters date from the post-war period and illustrate events such as the rise of Bolshevism and Communism, the 1919 General Assembly election and various plebiscites. The majority of the posters were printed in the United States. Posters from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, and Russia are included as well. The posters range in style from anonymous broadsides (predominantly text) to graphically vibrant works by well-known designers. The Library acquired these posters through gift, purchase, and exchange or transfer from other government institutions, and continues to add to the collection.
Electronic Resources Librarian
Reference and Information Services Office, Room 107g
David and Lorraine Cheng Library
William Paterson University
300 Pompton Road
Wayne, NJ 07470
