Overview
- Description
- The World Jewish Congress collection consists of the records of the New York Office of the organization. The Institute of Jewish Affairs, Series C, contains records of investigation of antisemitic legislation and activities, persecution of war criminals and war crimes, restitution for victims of the Holocaust, subjects relating to Jewish life and related problems such as minorities, migration, and human rights. The Institute produced reports for submission to the United Nations and other bodies.
- Date
-
inclusive:
1918-1982
bulk: 1940-1970
- Collection Creator
- World Jewish Congress
- Biography
-
The World Jewish Congress (WJC) is an international organization founded by resolution of the First World jewish Congress, which took place in August 1936 in Geneva. The organization goal is to defend the political, social, and economic rights of Jews throughout the world. Its governing bodies were elected at the First World Jewish Congress: the executive committee headed by Stephen Wise (also the organization’s chairman), an administrative committee, headed by Nahum Goldman, and a central council headed by Louis Lipsky. At the first session of the executive committee, Sept. 6, 1936, it was decided to establish regional offices of the WJC in Geneva, New York, and London, and a central bureau in Paris. The central bureau coordinated the WJC’s work, collected information on the situation of Jews in various countries, published materials, and also lobbied at the League of Nations. In 1940, with the Second World War under way, the central bureau was transferred to New York, and a European office was established in London.
Physical Details
- Extent
-
383,813 digital images : PNG ; 88.2 GB.
333 microfilm reels ; 35 mm.
41 CD-ROMs.
- System of Arrangement
- Organized into the following four sub-series 1. Executive Files and Correspondence: files of the first three directors of the Institute: J. Robinson, N. Robinson, and O. Karbach. 2. Research Materials, Reports and Publications. The focus is mainly on Germany, World War II, the Holocaust, and post war issues such as DPs, restitution, and refugees 3. War Crimes and Retribution. Includes files on searches for Holocaust witnesses, war crimes trail correspondence, crimes in individual Polish communities, and the Nuremberg proceedings. 4. Indemnification. Relates to restitution legislation, claims, property claims. Organized by country. Also restitution organizations including the Claims Conference.
Arrangement is thematic.
Rights & Restrictions
- Conditions on Access
- This material can only be accessed in a Museum reading room or other on-campus viewing stations. No other access restrictions apply to this material.
- Conditions on Use
- Fair use only. Persons wishing to quote or publish from the records of the World Jewish Congress beyond the fair use provision as established by copyright law must obtain the written approval of the American Jewish Archives. The sale or distribution of microfilms or CD copies by the USHMM to any outside individual or agency is not permitted. Microfilms and all electronic images of the World Jewish Congress records are for use on site at the USHMM only and may not be lent to third parties.
- Copyright Holder
- American Jewish Archives
Keywords & Subjects
Administrative Notes
- Holder of Originals
-
American Jewish Archives
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- The World Jewish Congress collection was donated to the American Jewish Archives by the World Jewish Congress in 1982. All materials donated prior to 2002 have been arranged and described in the American Jewish Archives inventory. Series C (Institute of Jewish Affairs) of the collection was microfilmed and sent to the United States Holocaust Museum in Nov. 2004. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum International Archives Project transferred the collection to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Archives on Nov.12, 2004.
- Record last modified:
- 2023-08-24 13:42:42
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn516006
Additional Resources
Download & Licensing
- See Rights and Restrictions
- Terms of Use
- This record is digitized but cannot be downloaded online.
In-Person Research
- Requires Research Visit
- Plan a Research Visit
-
Request in Shapell Center Reading Room
Bowie, MD