Nazi death files set to be opened

[bemildred]

LUXEMBOURG (AP) -- Armed with key concessions from Germany, an 11-nation commission convened Tuesday to finalize arrangements to open a vast archive documenting the death, enslavement or oppression of 17 million Jews, Roma and others deemed undesirable to the Nazi regime.

The move to unlock the storehouse of some 50 million files in the German town of Bad Arolsen comes under pressure from the dying generation of Holocaust survivors and victims' families who fear their histories will be lost forever unless the rules are changed for accessing the files.

Legal experts worked through the day and late into the night Monday on amending the language of two documents governing the archives -- a 1955 treaty among the 11 countries on the oversight commission, and an agreement between those countries and the International Committee of the Red Cross which administers the archive.

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The proposed changes would give historical researchers immediate access to the cavernous rooms at Bad Arolsen containing concentration camp registrations, death certificates, transit lists and other minutiae of evil that the Nazis meticulously recorded.

Corporate News Network

[Canuckistanian]

1. Oh, I thought this was about the Phase II Senate investigations.

I still don't understand the time resrictions on this. The article didn't make that clear.

[Tight_rope]

4. LMBAO...Me too

[AndyTiedye]

2. And Some in the ** Regime Want To Use That as a "How To" Manual

[politicat]

3. This is very good, because it will make it much harder for the deniers.

Holocaust deniers get away with their BS because the documentation is kept so very confidential. If the documentation is made public, they will then have to try to rationalize how several thousand tons of records that solidly date to 1932-45 (via ink and paper analysis) came to be falsified, and why the Nazis would want to do such a thing. I'm sure the deniers will try, but they're not going to be able to get very far.

[Tight_rope]

5. Yeah...maybe will see the direct connect between Bush and the Nazi's

Like family tree relations.

[politicat]

6. That too.

I can imagine there's a ton of useful information in there....

[manic expression]

8. Harder,

but reality doesn't matter when you're insane. They'll find some delusional BS to hold onto. Some may see the truth, but I doubt it will have a substantial effect on neo-Nazis or racists or any other deniers anywhere.

[politicat]

10. No, the ones who are truly delusional will stay that way. But the

fence sitters, those who really don't know their history and only come to Holocaust denial because they pick up the wrong books... those, there's a better chance with.

The hard core ones will always believe whatever the voices in their heads tell them. It's that middle ground that I'm hoping for.

[manic expression]

11. True n/t

[LanternWaste]

13. I wouldn't count on it...

When a person decides to believe or disbelieve a thing, don't count on fatcs, historical documents or even the hand of God from changing it. I know too many people who belive Bush* really is a good president.

New justifications are very easy to create if you're williong to overlook the truth.

[redqueen]

7. Why was it kept secret for so long?

That doesn't make any sense at all to me.

[bemildred]

9. Yeah, that was my question.

Here it is 60 years on. Why is this still secret? Are there really any victims and survivors that don't want all the facts known? Were there EVER any victims and survivors that didn't want the facts known? Why was this ever secret?

[daleo]

12. Maybe it has something to do with Operation Paperclip?

It is a possibility.

[politicat]

15. I'd say privacy.

Having the records open would put those survivors directly into the hands of researchers who might not have the survivors' best interests at heart (or who might have good intentions, but inadvertently cause further trauma.)

Since there are so few survivors left (I know we will hold the Kaddish for the last survivor in my lifetime) and since those people want the archives opened to research (as opposed to the Public, since one is always going to need academic credentials to really have access) it makes sense to do it now, before they die. This way, if there are serious issues that need to be verified by a survivor, we can do it before it is too late.

[Kellanved]

16. Privacy and international agreements

The tracing service was created to find individuals. That objective was set in an 11-nation agreement, all of which have to agree regarding the opening. Also it is not quite so simple: all victims and their relatives might have an interest in opening the files, but an assumed interest is not sufficient from a legal point of view.

Finally: don't forget that western Germany essentially was led by Nazis until the late sixties.

[bemildred]

17. Thanks for your comments. nt

[Endangered Specie]

14. Damn, I would NOT want to be the guy who has to read those...

glad they are finally being released, it is important not just for the victims and families but for History itself.