Wiener Library Collections, VII-B_0104_WL70.
We are delighted to announce that the Library can now provide free access to Gale’s recently released digital primary sources project Refugees, Relief and Resettlement: Forced Migration and World War II. The online resource, only available at the Library, chronicles the plight of refugees and displaced persons across Europe, North Africa, and Asia from 1935 to 1950, bringing together over 590,000 pages of pamphlets, government documents, relief organization publications, ephemera, and refugee reports that recount the causes, effects and responses to refugee crises before, during and shortly after the Second World War.
This rich collection makes it possible for researchers to unravel the complex history of forced migration in the twentieth century at every level, from the logistical details concerning the migration and resettlement of those in flight to the political challenges presented during and after the war. Documentation offers a first-hand record of the response of governments to various crises and shifts in policy; a chronicling of the aid work undertaken by NGOs and charities seeking to provide relief and aid in resettlement; and a recognition through individual narratives of the daily reality of the refugee experience. This archive enables researchers to examine not only the plight of those forced to resettle inside and outside their national borders, but also the many types of refugee situations that arose, from voluntary evacuations and the internment of individuals in displaced person (DP) camps to whole population transfers and the return of forced labourers.
Refugees, Relief and Resettlement: Forced Migration and World War II includes many historical records from the World Jewish Relief (WJR), a collection of documents that the Library chiefly has on microfilm. Gratis online access was kindly provided due to the generous support of Paul Anticoni, Executive Director of the World Jewish Relief, who negotiated access to the Library. There has been a long-standing, close and historic relationship between the WJR and the Library.
This online resource is available onsite only as long as one is connected to the Library’s free Wi-Fi. Planning a visit? Make sure to check our Reading Room guidance before your visit.
