Research guide to Holocaust-related holdings at Library and Archives Canada

On this page

Introduction

The Research Guide to Holocaust-related Holdings at Library and Archives Canada (LAC) provides an introduction to our holdings. In keeping with the example set by such institutions as the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre and the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre, this guide includes holdings related to the Holocaust in its widest definition. It includes records related to a broad range of events and decisions before, during and after the Second World War. The records documented in this guide cover the pre-war refugee crisis; the internment of Jewish refugees in Canada; the immigration of displaced persons; the postwar prosecution of Nazi war criminals and the creative responses that the Holocaust engendered in artists, writers, filmmakers and others; among many other events.

This guide includes archival and published sources. It covers both official records that reflect responses to the Holocaust by the government of the day, as well as accounts of the Holocaust and the complex ways in which it affected society in the postwar decades.

Archival records, by nature, are described and arranged according to who created them, rather than by subject. Because of the amount of records preserved by archival institutions, archival records are also frequently described at a general level, rather than by individual item. For these reasons, research by subject is rarely comprehensive. Researchers should note that resources relevant to the Holocaust, but not mentioned in this guide, may therefore also be part of LAC's holdings. To conduct further research, please consult the LAC website.

Similarly, because of the vast number of publications in LAC's library holdings that pertain to the Holocaust and its global impact, the published references listed here are also only a sampling of relevant publications, intended to give the researcher an idea of the types of less commonly found publications available, or those with a Canadian angle such as memoirs of Canadian Holocaust survivors. The Jacob M. Lowy Collection, a renowned collection of Hebraica and Judaica comprising over 3,000 volumes from the 15th to the 20th century. Among the works cited in this guide are rare and special editions either published during the Second World War or in its immediate aftermath.

LAC's Mandate

As set out in the Library and Archives of Canada Act, LAC is mandated to facilitate access to Canada's documentary heritage, and to make that heritage known to Canadians and to anyone with an interest in Canada. LAC's Access Policy Framework (2011) aims to make all of the institution's documentary heritage holdings discoverable, available, and accessible to the greatest extent possible.

This research guide supports LAC's access objectives by providing an overview of documentary heritage holdings related to the Holocaust. As a Government of Canada institution however, LAC works within existing federal legislation, regulations, and policies (e.g. Library and Archives of Canada Act, Copyright Act, Access to Information Act, Privacy Act, etc.). For this reason, access to holdings in this guide may require special permissions or be subject to an access review under applicable legislation.

Conducting research at LAC

How to use this guide

This guide provides references to resources held at LAC. Most references are linked to LAC's catalogues, where further information about the resource will be found. In most cases, you will not be able to access the actual resource without requesting a copy or by visiting in person.

This guide should be considered as a starting point for research into Holocaust-related resources at LAC, and researchers should note that many more resources do exist in LAC's holdings. These can be consulted through an in-person visit or by hiring a freelance researcher to conduct research on your behalf.

How to use LAC's online search tools

Further resources may be identified by researchers through an extensive search using our online tools.

The principal database for searching for archival references is available at Collection Search.

The more precise a search is, the better the search results will be. For instance, if you are interested in the case of a Jewish refugee who was in an internment camp in Canada, you may not find his/her name in our search tools. However, if you know where and when he/she was interned (e.g. at Île-aux-Noix in 1940–1941), a search of the place name during that time period may give you a starting point for locating relevant records.

Researchers should note that archival records are usually described in a hierarchical manner, beginning with general descriptions of large groups of records, such as fonds or collections. Fonds and collections are often divided into smaller groups of records, such as series, that provide additional contextual information. If lists of files or items (the lowest levels of description, also referred to as finding aids) exist in digital form, they will be linked to higher levels of description in LAC's database.

To search LAC's published references, beyond those listed in this guide, it would be useful to use Aurora, Library and Archives Canada’s catalogue of books, periodicals, music, videos and other published materials.

Searching Aurora by standard Library of Congress Subject Headings, in English (e.g. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945; Holocaust survivors)) or standard Répertoire de vedettes-matières, in French (e.g. Holocauste, 1939–1945; Survivants de l'Holocauste) would be useful, in addition to searching by keyword.

Most subject headings are analyzed in more depth with geographic or other subdivisions:
(e.g. Holocaust, Jewish (1939–1945) -- Hungary -- Personal narratives/Holocauste, 1939–1945 -- Hongrie -- Récits personnels; War Criminals—Canada/Criminels de guerre--Canada). Books represented by AMICUS records often contain relevant subject headings that would be useful for further searches.

Language of material

Most of the archival resources mentioned in this guide are in English, although some files may contain documents in other languages. A few of the audiovisual resources are in French. The published references include many Yiddish and Hebrew sources, in addition to English and some French and Polish ones. For the citations of published references in Yiddish or Hebrew in this guide, as well as in the bibliographic records in AMICUS, the LC-ALA Romanization [PDF 128 KB] table is used. For this guide, some of the diacritics have been omitted. Publications in English and French from the 1970s onward tend to be listed by author and title, whereas older books, especially those in Yiddish and Hebrew, tend to have more complete bibliographic citations. The imprint and publication date are of significance because a more complete reference will help the reader quickly identify the work. In all cases, a link to the relevant Aurora record is provided.

Access Conditions

Researchers should note that many archival resources are subject to some form of restriction on access and use. LAC works within federal legislation, regulations, and policies, including the Library and Archives of Canada Act, Copyright Act, Access to Information Act, and Privacy Act. Access to holdings in this guide may require special permissions or be subject to an access review under applicable legislation.

Government of Canada records

Access to all records created or maintained by the Government of Canada is governed by the specific regulations and exemptions found in the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. If a record is opened, it is marked code 90: Open in the online entries. If a record remains closed, it is marked code 32: Restricted by law. Records that have not previously been requested and therefore have not yet been reviewed remain closed and marked code 32. Those that are currently closed under the two Acts, with the marking code 32, can still be requested and reviewed for disclosure. For further information on reviewing closed records, please consult LAC's website.

Private records

Records donated by private individuals or organizations may also carry restrictions on access and use. Codes for private records include code 90: Open; code 18: Restricted by creator/donor; or code 10: Closed. A group of records may also be marked code 96: Restrictions vary, when a combination of the first three codes is applicable. When records are restricted or closed, there will be further details on the nature of the access conditions at the fonds- or collection-level description of the records. It may be possible to consult restricted records, either through signing a restricted access form or obtaining permission from the donors. For records that are closed, the fonds- or collection-level description will include information on when the records are expected to be open.

Nazi Persecution of the Jews Before the Second World War

Government and Prime Ministerial Records

Government files and records produced prior to the Second World War, reflect the experience of Jewish immigrants trying to enter Canada at the time. The government bodies referenced here include the Department of External Affairs (RG25), the Immigration Branch (RG76) and the Office of the Governor-General (RG7).

Table 1: List of Government and Prime Ministerial Records
Description File Number and Link Status
Refugees from Austria and Germany United States Proposals – Conference, Evian, 1938. RG25, vol. 1870, 1871 and 1872, file 1938-327 Open
Jewish Colonization Association, Montreal, 1920-1951. RG76-I-A-1, vol. 82, file 8520, parts 1 to 3, microfilm C-4749 Open
Immigration to Canada of Jews from Europe, 1926-1934. RG76-I-A1, vol. 391, file 541782, part 3, microfilm C-10284 Open
Immigration to Canada of Jews from Europe (publications), 1934-1937. RG76-I-A-1, vol. 391, file 541782, part 4, microfilm C-10284 Open
United States proposal regarding refugees from Germany and Austria (Report of Conference on Refugees) 1938. RG76 -I-A-1, vol. 432, file no. 644452, part 1-2, microfilm C-10312 Open
United States proposal regarding refugees from Germany and Austria (Report of Conference on Refugees) 1938. RG76 -I-A-1, vol. 432, file no. 644452, part 3, microfilm C-10312; C-10313 Open
Department of External Affairs - Confidential telegrams to Prime Minister at Washington, D.C., United States, on immigration matters (German Jews on SS ST. LOUIS), 1939, 1941, 1965. RG76 -I-A-1, vol. 440, file 670224, microfilm C-10318 Open
National Committee on Refugees and Victims of Political Persecution (reports), 1938-1940. RG76 -I-A-1, vol. 438, file 661315, microfilm C-10316 Open
Assistance to Refugees from Germany, 1938-1941. RG25-A-2, vol. 779, file 382, microfilm T-1794 Open
Immigration - Deportation - Departure from Canada – Jewish Refugees and Others, 1936-1945. RG7-G-26, vol. 90, file 2085-A, part 1 Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

William Lyon Mackenzie King Papers

Private records

Within Canada, organizations such as the Jewish Labour Committee of Canada and the Canadian National Committee on Refugees made significant efforts to bring Jewish refugees into the country. Individuals who left Germany in the late 1930s and were ultimately successful in making Canada their home, such as Rabbis Emil L. Fackenheim and W. Gunther Plaut, contributed immensely to Canadian society in the second half of the 20th century.

Table 2: List of Private Records
Description File Number and Link Status
Jewish Labour Committee of Canada fonds. MG28-V75/R3286 Open
Jewish Historical Society of Western Canada Collection: Records of the Jewish Immigration Aid Services - Western Division. MG28 V114/R4547, microfilms M-4581-4599 Open
Alphabetical Files - Canadian National Committee on Refugees and Victims of Political Persecution - Pamphlets on refugees and address on Jewish refugees, 1938-1939. MG30-D115/R1887, vol. 17, file 8 Restrictions vary
W. Gunther Plaut fonds
Emigration from Germany and settlement in U.S.A.
MG31-F6/R5917, vols. 1-3, 410 Restricted by creator/ donor
Emil L. Fackenheim fonds
Personal records and correspondence.
MG31-D74/R4535 Restricted by creator/ donor

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Published references

The Bible listed here was published during the first year of the Nazi Party's rule in Germany, and its celebrated publication that includes Deuteronomy 33:29 printed in red, "Your enemies shall dwindle away before you…," signifying an early perception of the threat posed to Jews by the Nazi rise to power. For further context, see the Library of Congress's virtual exhibit, Words like Sapphires: 100 years of Hebraica at the Library of Congress, 1912–2012.

Bible. O.T. Pentateuch. Hebrew. Soncino Gesellschaft.1933. .Hamishah .humshe Torah : meduyakim al pi ha-masorah ve-al pi mahadurat Gintsberg .../mugahim al yede Shemuel Meir Yudovitsh ... ha-otiyot tsuyeru bi-yede Markus Behmer al pi temunat ha-otiyot bi-defuso shel Gershom Kohen be-Prag. Berlin:.Hevrat Sontsino, 690 [1929 or 1930] - 693 [1932–1933].

Margoles Da.vidzon, Khaim. Bay.tshland: dertseylungen fun Idishn lebn in Natsi-land = Baitchland: stories of Jewish life in Nazi-Germany . Nyu Yor.k: Aroysgegebn funem Da.vidzon bukh-.komi.te.t durkhn farlag "Signal", bam "Prole.tpen", February, 1939.

The Holocaust, 1939–1945

Jewish Refugees in Canadian Internment Camps

Some Austrian and German Jews successfully fled Nazi persecution to Britain. In 1940, the British government asked Canada to house these refugees. Because of their nationality, they were classed as "enemy aliens." The Jewish refugees were interned in Canada's enemy alien camps. Between 1940 and 1943, more than 2,000 Jewish refugees were interned in Canada. These camps, run by the Department of National Defence, included those at Fredericton, New Brunswick; Farnham, Quebec; Île-aux-Noix, Quebec; Sherbrooke, Quebec; Trois-Rivières, Quebec; Cove Fields, Quebec; St. Helen's Island, Quebec; and Red Rock, Ontario. The records of these camps are found in the Department of National Defence fonds (RG24).

Some references to these camps have been included below. For more extensive references on files related to these camps in LAC's holdings, researchers may wish to consult LAC's guide on Second World War internment [PDF 8.14 MB].

Government and prime ministerial records

Table 3: List of government and prime ministerial records
Description File Number and Link Status
Treatment of civilian internees sent to Canada from U.K. on the S.S. "ETTRICK" in July 1940. RG25-A-3-b, vol. 2767, file 621-AU-40, part 1 Open
Segregation of Jews and other refugees and German civilians loyal to their country in Canadian refugee camps - Inquiry re., 1942-1945. RG25-A-3-b, vol. 2768, file 621-BM-40, part 1 Open
Directorate of Internment Operations, file relating to Camp N at Newington, Quebec. RG24-C-5, vol. 11253 Open
No. 40 Internment Camp, Farnham, 1940-1942. RG24-C-3, vol. 15397, file 2282 Open
No. 40 Internment Camp, Farnham, 1942-1946. RG24-C-3, vol. 15398, file 2282 Open
No. 41 Internment Camp, Île-aux-Noix, 1940-1943. RG24-C-3, vol. 15399, file 2283 Open
No. 42 Internment Camp, Sherbrooke, 1940-1941. RG24-C-3, vol. 15399, file 2284 Open
No. 42 Internment Camp, Sherbrooke, 1941-1944. RG24-C-3, vol. 15400, file 2284 Open
No. 42 Internment Camp, Sherbrooke, 1944-1946. RG24-C-3, vol. 15401, file 2284 Open
No. 70 Internment Camp, Fredericton, 1940-1942. RG24-C-3, vol. 15404, file 2287 Open
No. 70 Internment Camp, Fredericton, 1942-1945. RG24-C-3, vol. 15405, file 2287 Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

File number "7236" in the subject files sub-series of the Department of National Defence Headquarters Central Registry contains the files related to the treatment of enemy aliens.

The following is a sampling of those files as they relate to some of the camps holding Jewish refugees:

Table 4: Camps holding Jewish refugees
Description File Number and Link Status
Treatment of Enemy Aliens - Returns, Intelligence Officer 2 - Ile-aux-Noix, 1940. RG24-C-1, file 7236-1-6-41, microfilm C-5369 Open
Treatment of Enemy Aliens - Returns, Intelligence Officer 3 - Returns of transfers - Sherbrooke, 1940-1946. RG24-C-1, file 7236-1-7-42, microfilm C-5371 Open
Treatment of Enemy Aliens - Returns, Intelligence Officer 3 - Returns of transfers - Fredericton, 1940-1945. RG24-C-1, file 7236-1-7-70, microfilm C-5371 Open
Treatment of Enemy Aliens - Returns, Intelligence Officer 4 - Returns of admission and discharges - Outside hospitals - Ile-aux-Noix, 1940-1943. RG24-C-1, file 7236-1-8-41, microfilm C-5371 Open
Treatment of Enemy Aliens - Returns, Intelligence Officer 4 - Returns of admissions and discharges - Outside hospitals - Sherbrooke, 1940-1946. RG24-C-1, file 7236-1-8-42, microfilm C-5371 Open
Treatment of Enemy Aliens - Returns, Intelligence Officer 4 - Returns of admissions and discharges - Outside hospitals - Fredericton, 1940-1945. RG24-C-1, file 7236-1-8-70, microfilm C-5372 Open
Treatment of Enemy Aliens - Intelligence Officer 7 - Weekly reports of admissions and discharges, camp hospitals - Ile-aux-Noix, 1940-1943. RG24-C-1, file 7236-1-9-41, microfilm C-5372 Open
Treatment of Enemy Aliens - Intelligence Officer 7 - Weekly reports of admissions and discharges, camp hospitals - Sherbrooke, 1940-1945. RG24-C-1, file 7236-1-9-42, microfilm C-5372 Open
Treatment of Enemy Aliens - Intelligence Officer 7 - Weekly reports of admissions and discharges, camp hospitals - Fredericton, 1940-1945. RG24-C-1, file 7236-1-9-70, microfilm C-5372 Open
Treatment of Enemy Aliens - Monthly report of employment of Prisoners of War for which they receive pay - Fredericton, 1940-1945. RG24-C-1, file 7236-34-1-70, microfilm C-5379 Open
Treatment of Enemy Aliens - Accommodation - Exhibition grounds, Three Rivers, 1940. RG24-C-1, file 7236-8, microfilm C-5376 Open
Treatment of Enemy Aliens - Accommodation, Cove Fields, 1940-1942. RG24-C-1, file 7236-9, microfilm C-5377 Open
Treatment of Enemy Aliens - Internment camp B, Little River Camp, Colters Siding and Camp 70, Fredericton, 1940-1945. RG24-C-1, file 7236-11, microfilm C-5377 Open
Treatment of Enemy Aliens - Red Rock internment camp, 1940-1943. RG24-C-1, file 7236-12, microfilm C-5377 Open
Treatment of Enemy Aliens - Ile-aux-Noix, 1940-1944. RG24-C-1, file 7236-18, microfilm C-5377 Open
Treatment of Enemy Aliens - Ile-aux-Noix, 1940-1944. RG24-C-1, file 7236-18, microfilm C-5378 Open
Treatment of Enemy Aliens - Camp N, Newington, Quebec (Sherbrooke), 1940-1947. RG24-C-1, file 7236-32, microfilm C-5379 Open
Treatments of Enemy Aliens - Monthly reports of employments of Prisoners of War for which they receive pay - Ile-aux-Noix, 1940-1943. RG24-C-1, file 7236-34-1-41, microfilm C-5379 Open
Treatment of Enemy Aliens - Returns to Britain and releases, 1940-1948. RG24-C-1, file 7236-47, microfilm C-5392 Open
Treatment of Enemy Aliens - International Officer 32 - Parcels and letters received in internment camps in Canada - Reports to External Affairs, International Red Cross and Swiss Consul - Fredericton, 1941-1945. RG24-C-1, file 7236-1-11-70, microfilm C-5376 Open
Treatment of Enemy Aliens - Intelligence Officer 32 - Parcels and letters received in internment camps in Canada - Reports to External Affairs, International Red Cross and Swiss Consul - Sherbrooke, 1942-1946. RG24-C-1, file 7236-1-11-42, microfilm C-5376 Open
Treatments of Enemy Aliens - Monthly reports of employments of Prisoners of War for which they receive pay - Sherbrooke, 1941-1948. RG24-C-1, file 7236-34-1-42, microfilm C-5379 Open
Treatment of Enemy Aliens - Releases in Canada, 1943-1948. RG24-C-1, file 7236-47-3, microfilm C-5392 Open
Transfer of internees from United Kingdom to Canada - German prisoners of War in Canada, 1940-1942. RG25-A-2, vol. 824, file 713, microfilm T-2207 Open
Intergovernmental Committee on Refugees - Admission to Canada - General file, 1943-1945. RG25-A-3-b, vol. 3195, file 5127-40C Restricted by law
William Lyon Mackenzie King fonds
Correspondence with T.A. Crerar and N.A. Robertson regarding internees and refugees, including Arturo Vivante, May 1941.
MG26-J1, vol. 303, pages 256355 to 256360, microfilm C-4861 Open
Correspondence with Ruth Draper regarding the case of interned Italian immigrant Arturo Vivante, 1941. MG26-J1, vol. 303, pages 256870 to 256879, microfilm C-4862 Open
World War II- Internees, 1940-1942. MG26 J4, vol. 359, file 3843, page C248508, microfilm H-1535 Open
Entry from William Lyon Mackenzie King's personal diary, November 7,1940. MG26-J13 Open
Interned Civilian Refugees and Jewish Refugees (Nominal Roll from United Kingdom), 1942-1946. RG18-F-3, vol. 3566, file C11-19-4-1, supp. B Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Personal accounts of Jewish internees in Canada

Table 5: List of personal accounts of Jewish internees in Canada
Description File Number and Link Status
Eric Koch fonds. MG30-C192/R2408, vols. 1-4 Open
Heinz Warschauer fonds. MG31-D129/R4561, vol. 1 Open
Bernhard Pfundt fonds. MG31-H174/R12048, vol. 1 Open
Gerald Frey fonds. MG30-C252/R10003, vol. 1 Open
Erik Exton fonds. MG31 H116/R4250, vols. 1, 5 Open
William Walsh fonds. MG31-B27/R4771 Restrictions vary
Max Gamper collection
Internment Camp "B" Canada, Little River Camp, New Brunswick.
R14195, accession 1983-099, box A086-02, C-105622 Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Published references

Personal Experiences of the Holocaust

Table 6: List of Personal Experiences of the Holocaust
Description File Number and Link Status
Anna Heilman fonds. R11520, vols. 1-3 Open
John Hirsch fonds
"I Never Saw Another Butterfly: Children's Drawings and Poems from Terezin Concentration Camp".
MG31, D81/R5005, vol. 64, file 4 Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

A Sampling of Published Personal Memoirs, Early Historical Accounts and Evidence, and Early Artistic Responses

  • Auerbach, Rachel. Oyf di felder fun.Treblin.ke: repor.tazsh . .Varshe; Lodzsh; .Kro.ké: Oysgabe fun der Tsen.traler Yidisher his.torisher .komisye baym Ts. .K. fun Poylishe Yidn, 1947.
    • Brief description: Early report on Treblinka and the memoirs of a survivor of that camp.
  • Ble.ter .vegn .Vilne: zamlbukh. Lodzsh : Farband fun .Vilner Yidn in Poyln bay der Tsen.traler Yidisher his.torisher .komisie, 1947.
    • Brief description: Documentation on Vilna ghetto containing texts, photographs, a fold-out map and model of the Vilna ghetto, and a list of survivors from Vilna living in Poland and elsewhere.
  • Dvorzetsky, Mark Meir. Yerusholayim de-Li.ta in .kamf un um.kum . Paris: Aroysgegebn durkhn Yidishn natsionaln arbe.ter farband in Ameri.ke un Yidishn fol.ksfarband in Fran.kraych, 1948.
    • Brief description: A detailed early eye-witness account of the Vilna Ghetto.
  • Elberg, Simcha. A.keydes-.Treblin.ke: gedan.ken un refle.ksn. Akedath = Treblinke: Essays . Shanghai: [s.n.], 1946 (North China Press).
    • Brief description: Essays by Rabbi Elberg lamenting the death of the six million Jews.
  • Fenigstein, H. .Varshe.ver Yid. shpi.tal: be.tn Natsi-rezshim . [Munich?]: Aroysgegebn durkh Farlag "Ibergang" bay der Federatsie fun Poylishe Yidn in Day.tshland, Ameri.kaner zone, 1948 (Frankfurt a. M.: Buchdruckeri Joh. Wagner & S. Söhne).
    • Brief description: Report on health statistics of Jews in Warsaw from 1939–1943 by a Warsaw Ghetto hospital doctor, who later immigrated to Canada.
  • Fens.ter, Hersh. Undzere farpanyi.k.te .kins.tler . Pariz: H. Fens.ter, 1951.
    • Brief description: Commemoration and biography of Jewish artists from France who were killed during the Nazi regime.
  • Fun lets.tn .hurbn . Minkhen: Tsen.traler his.torishe .komisie baym Tsentral.er komi.te.t fun di bafray.te Yidn in der Ameri.kaner zone, 1946–
    • Brief description: Early historical and literary serial on the Holocaust.
  • Goldkorn, Dorka. Mayne zikhroyne funm oyfsh.tand in .Varshe.ver Ge.to . Lodzsh: .Koopera.ti.ver arbe.ter-farlag "Prasa", 1948.
    • Brief description: Memoir of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.
  • Goldstein, Bernard. Finf yor in .Varshever ge.to . New York: Farlag "Unzer Tsayt", 1947.
    • Brief description: Memoir of the Warsaw Ghetto.
  • Grossman, .Vasilii Semenovich. Treblin.ker genem . Mosk.ve: Ogiz, Melukhe-Farlag "Der Emes,"1945.
    • Brief description: Reportage about Treblinka, perhaps the earliest after liberation.
  • Hemshekh: shrif.tn far li.tera.tur, .kuns.t, .kri.ti.k un .kul.tur-gezelshaf.tlekhe frages . Minkhen: Dire.k.torium far dertsiung un .kul.tur: Shrayber-farband fun der sheyre_s-ha-pley.teh, 1948 (gedru.kt in Farlag "Bafrayung").
    • Brief description: Early artistic response.
  • Hirschprung, P. Fun Natsishen yomertol: zikhroynes fun a poli.t = From the Nazi Vale of Tears . Montreal: [s.n.], 1944 (Eagle Pub.).
    • Brief description: Holocaust memoirs of late Chief Rabbi of Montreal.
  • Kaczerginski, Szmerke. .Hurbn Vilne . Nyu Yor.k : Bikher-Farlag, 1947.
    • Brief description: On the destruction of Jewish community of Vilna.
  • Kaczerginski, Szmerke. Par.tizaner geyen .[Bamberg : Unzer Weg, 1948].
    • Brief description: On Jewish partisans.
  • Kahanovich, Moshe. Der Yidisher on.teyl in der partizaner-bavegunn fun Sovet-Rusland . Roym: Oysg. fun der Tsentraler historisher .komisye baym Partizaner-farband P.h.h. in I.talye, 1948.
    • Brief description: Jewish participation in partisan groups during the Second World War, with emphasis on the situation in the Soviet Union.
  • Kaplan, Yisrael. Dos fol.ks-moyl in Natsi-.klem: reydenishn in ge.to un .katse.t . Minkhen: Aroysgegebn fun der Tsen.traler his.torisher .komisie baym Ts. .k. fun di bafray.te Yidn in der Ameri.kaner zone in Daytshland, 1949.
    • Brief description: On Yiddish terms and phrases from the Ghetto and the concentration camp.
  • Mark, Bernard, Der oyfsh.tand fun .Varshe.ver ge.to . Pariz: Aroysgegeben durkh der Organizatsie fun Poylishe Yidn bay dem Poylishn .komi.te.t fun natsyonaler bafrayung, April, 1945.
    • Brief description: Early account of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.
  • Mazor, Mark. La cité engloutie (souvenirs du ghetto de Varsovie) . Paris: Éditions du Centre, 1955.
  • Noy, Melech. Di .kemfer fun .Varshe.ver ge.to dertseyln . Tel-Aviv: .Vel.t-i.hed Poyle-tsiyen (Ts. S.)-Hisa.hdes, 1945.
    • Brief description: Personal narratives and reports of fighters in the Warsaw Ghetto.
  • Noy, Melech. .Hurben un oyfsh.tand . Tel Aviv: Executive Committee of the General Federation of Jewish Labour in Palestine, 1948.
    • Brief description: "Jews in Warsaw: a collection of reports and biographical sketches of the fallen" (t.p. verso).
  • Ringelblum, Emmanuel. No.titsn fun.Varshever ge.to . Warszawa: Idisz Buch, 1952.
    • Brief description: Publication of notes that had been recorded by Polish-Jewish historian during the Warsaw Ghetto.
  • Ryczywól, Ber. .Viazoy ikh hob ibergeleb.t di Day.tshn . .Varshe: Tsen.traler Yidisher his.torisher .komisie, 1946.
    • Brief description: Memoirs of a Polish Jew.
  • Sommer, Ernst. Der ofsh.tand fun di farur.teyl.te . Mos.k.ve: Ogiz, Melukhe Ferlag "Emes," 1945.
    • Brief description: Yiddish translation of Revolte der Heilingen, written in 1943 by Czech Jew, possibly the earliest literary text to deal in detail with the Holocaust, in particular the topic of Jewish resistance.
  • Szajewicz, Sim.hah Bunam. Lekh-lekho/Sh. Shaye.vi.tsh; araynfir un bamer.kungen fun Na.hmen Blumen.tal . Lodzsh: [Oysgabes fun der Tsen.traler Yidisher his.torisher .komisie baym Tsen.tral- .komi.te.t fun Poylishe Yidn], 1946.
    • Brief description: Letters and poetry from the Lodz Ghetto.
  • Theresienstadt currency [Theresienstadt: Theresienstadt Concentration Camp], 1943.
    • Brief description : Artifact.
  • Varshe.ver ge.to oyfsh.tand: 19.ter April 1943–19.ter April 1947 . [Landsberg: Aroysgegebn fun Ts. .K. "Poaley-tsiyen" (Ts. S.) un merkaz "Dror" in Day.tshland, 1947?]
    • Brief description: On the Warsaw Ghetto uprising by two of the Zionist youth groups who had fought in it.
  • Weissbrod, Abraham. Es sh.tarb.t a sh.te.tl: megiles S.kala.t. Skalat Destroyed . Minkhen: Aroysgegebn fun der Tsen.traler his.torisher komisie baym Tsen.tral .komi.te.t fun di bafray.te Yidn in der Ameri.kaner Zone in Day.tshland, 1948.
    • Brief description: History and demise of the Ukrainian town, Skalat.
  • Zylberberg, Lejb. A Yid fun . Klemento.v dertseyl t. Varshe: Tsen.traler Yidisher historisher . komisye baym Ts. K. fun Poylishe Yidn, 1947.
    • Brief description: Personal narrative of a survivor from Klimontów, Poland.

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

European Jewish Publications during the Holocaust: Books from Romania and Hungary prior to the Nazi occupation

Books primarily on Jewish law, printed from 1939–1943, were among the last published before the destruction of the communities in these countries. Since Responsa and other works of Jewish law reflect current day concerns, they are potential sources for insight.

Books from Shanghai, destination of refugees

Many German Jews fleeing Nazism in the 1930s found refuge in Shanghai, China, where there was an already existing Jewish community. During the Second World War, Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese diplomat in Kaunas, Lithuania, issued thousands of transit visas for Jews escaping Europe, including those of the Mir Yeshivah, many of whom also found a relatively safe haven in Shanghai. The refugees numbered around 20, 000 and had been interned by the Japanese in the Hongkew section of the city. Publication of Jewish books and serial publications in various languages continued nonetheless, and reflected the broad range of interests and ideology. With the exception of one published reference to a Shanghai imprint in the Liberation section of this guide and another in the Visual: early Holocaust photo documentation section, the scope of this list extends to postwar in order to keep the Shanghai section an integrated whole.

  • Danzig, Abraham ben Jehiel Michal. Sefer .Hokhmat adam ... dine Shulkhan arukh Yoreh deah, mi-reshito ve-ad sofo ... Shanghai: be-hotsaat Bet otsar ha-sefarim "Ezrat-Torah" she-a.y. Yeshivat Mir ha-.k, 705 [1944 or 1945] (printed by Mr. Chow Si-Tsing).
    • Brief description: Commentary on a section from Shulkhan arukh, major code of Jewish law.
  • Fishman, J. H. Far.vogl.te Yidn: dertseylungen , Shankhay: aroysgegeben fun a gezelshaf.tlekhn .komi. te.t, 1948.
    • Brief description: Short stories reflecting the state of refugees and their search for a resting place.
  • Hertsman, Elhanan Yosef. Sefer Gadlut ha-adam: yahil maamar R. Yaakov Emden u-ve­urim be-inyene gadlut ha-adam a. pi. d. ha-musar . Shanghai: Elhanan Yosef ben Shemuel Hertsman, Nisan, 705 [1945] (Chow Si-Tsing, Tung Hwa Book Company).
    • Brief description: On Jewish ethics and teachings of Rabbi Jacob Emden.
  • Levovitz, Yeruchom. Maamarim,.hoveret 9 . Shanghai (.Hinah): Maamarim, Sivan, 706 [1946].
    • Brief description: Students of Rabbi Levovits, spiritual guide of the Mir Yeshiva in Europe, collected some of his teachings in this work.
  • Rapoport, O. Der mehus fun dikh.tung un ir sotsiale fun.ktsie . Shangkhai: [s.n.]. 1941.
    • Brief description: On the social value of poetry.
  • [ Talmud Bavli: im perush Rashi, Tosafot ... ] Shanghai: .Vaad ha-hadpasah "Torah-Or", 702 [1941 or 1942]–708 [1947 or 1948]
    • Brief description: Lowy set: 22 tractactes in 10 v. Vol. 1, 4-10 signed by L. Barano.vits. Vol. 3. Stamp in Hebrew on title page: Otsar ha-sefarim "Ezrat Torah", de-Yeshivat Mir kha-et be-Shanghai.
      Signature of [Aryeh] L[eib] Baranovits, Mir Yeshiva student, on some volumes. Rabbi Baron, as he was known in Canada, was a prominent Rabbi and educator in Montreal for over half a century.
  • Unzer .vor.t . Shankhay: [s.n.], 1946 (Centurion Printing Co.).
    • Brief description: On the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, 1943.

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Published musical and theatrical responses

Continued Jewish immigration to Canada

During the War some Jews found refuge and escape from Nazi-occupied Europe. Although immigration to Canada was still limited, some Jewish refugees did gain entry.

Government and prime ministerial records

Table 7: List of government and prime ministerial records
Description File Number and Link Status
Intergovernmental Committee on Refugees, 1943-1948. RG25-B-1-k, vol. 2112, file AR 408/1, parts 1-9 Open
Refugees – Admission to Canada of Jewish Children from France, 1942-1944. RG25-B-1-k, vol. 2113, file AR 408/2 Open
Department of Mines and Resources – Co-Operation of United Kingdom and Allies – Refugees and Evacuation of Children – Immigration, 1940-1945. RG2-B-2, vol. 46, file D-17-1 Open
Entry into Canada of Jewish children from France, 1942-1943. RG25-A-3-b, vol. 3107, file 4300-40C. Open
Refugee immigration to Canada (I.R.O.)
(lists), 1940-1941.
RG76-I-A-1, vol. 441, file 673931, part 2, microfilm C-10319 Open
Refugee immigration to Canada (I.R.O.), 1943. RG76-I-A-1, vol. 441, file 673931, part 4, microfilm C-10319 Open
Refugee immigration to Canada (I.R.O.) (lists), 1943-1944. RG76-I-A-1, vol. 442, file 673931, part 6-8, microfilm C-10319 Open
Admission of Jewish children from unoccupied France, 1942-1948. RG76-I-A-1, vol. 477, file 739325, parts 1 and 2, microfilms C-10412 and C-10413 Open
Immigration - Deportation – Departure from Canada – Jewish Refugees and Others, 1947-1964. RG7-G-26, vol. 90, file 2085-A, parts 1-3 Open
Resolutions and protests by various persons re: treatment of Jews by Germany - Resolution re: admission of refugees to Canada [pocket], [1940-1963]. RG25-A-3-b, vol. 3121, file 4626-40 Restricted by law
Movement of Jewish refugees from Denmark to Sweden, 1943-1944. RG25-A-3-b, vol. 3246, file 5879-40, part 1 Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Entries from William Lyon Mackenzie King's personal diary, MG26-J13

Private records

Table 8: List of private records, mainly in the Robert James Manion fonds
Description File Number and Link Status
Immigration - Canadian National Committee on Refugees, 1938-1940. MG27 III B7/R4383, vol. 48, file 11 Open
Refugees - Jewish, 1938-1939. MG27 III B7/R4383, vol. 67, file 1 Open
Refugees - Jewish, 1939. MG27 III B7/R4383, vol. 67, file 2 Open
Archie B. Bennett fonds. MG30-D223/R10023, vol. 1 Open
Canadian National Committee on Refugees collection, 1934-1948. MG28 V43/R3386, vols. 1-9 Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Table 9: Samuel Zacks fonds
Description File Number and Link Status
World War II refugee work, 1939-1970. MG30 C144/R2606, vols. 19-20 Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Canadian concerns about the treatment of Jews in occupied countries

Table 10: List of private records detailing Canadian concerns about the treatment of Jews in occupied countries
Description File Number and Link Status
U.N. declaration re: treatment of Jews by Germany, 1942-1946. RG25-A-3-b, vol.3122, file 4637-40C Restricted by law

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

William Lyon Mackenzie King correspondence

Table 11: Documents concerning the Vichy government's deportation of Jews
Description File Number and Link Status
Correspondence with Etienne Mantoux, January 16, 1942 - September 14, 1942. MG26-J1, vol. 329, pages 280559 to 280563, microfilm C-6809 Open
Correspondence with Clement Attlee, September 15, 1942. MG26-J1, vol. 334, page 286203, microfilm C-6813 Open
Correspondence with Leighton McCarthy, September 28, 1942. MG26-J1, vol. 327, page 278882, microfilm C-6808 Open
Correspondence with Peter Bercovitch, September 25, 1942 - October 06, 1942. MG26-J1, vol. 321, pages 272460 to 272464, microfilm C-6804 Open
Correspondence with Clement Attlee, December 22, 1942. MG26-J1, vol. 334, pages 287064 to 287065, microfilm C-6813 Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Table 12: Concerning government policies around Jewish immigration
Description File Number and Link Status
Correspondence on Jewish immigration, May 28-29, 1940. MG26-J1, vol. 283, pages 239627 to 239628, microfilm C-4566 Open
Correspondence with F.C. Blair regarding refugee children, June 27, 1940. MG26-J1, vol. 283, page 239629, microfilm C-4566 Open
Correspondence with Grote Stirling, N.A. Robertson, Dept. External Affairs, June 21-23, 1943. MG26-J1, vol. 352, pages 305891 to 305895, microfilm C-7046 Open
On Jewish immigration, May 28-29, 1940. MG26-J1, vol. 283, pages 239627 to 239628, microfilm C-4566 Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Postwar

Liberation

Canadian troops contributed to the liberation of Belgium and the Netherlands, countries that did not contain concentration camps, but that did contain transit camps where Jews were held before being sent to death camps in the East. The Second Canadian Infantry Division did liberate Westerbork, a transit camp in the northeast Netherlands, which was holding about 1,000 Jewish men and women.

Government records

Table 13: List of government records about the liberation
Description File Number and Link Status
War Diary entry, 8th Canadian Reconnaissance Regiment, 14th Hussars, the Netherlands, April 12, 1945. RG24-C-3, vol. 14226, file 581, microfilm T-12689-T-12690 Open
War diary entry, South Saskatchewan Regiment, the Netherlands, April 12, 1945. RG24-C-3, vol. 15264, file 191 Open
War Diary entry, Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, the Netherlands, April 12, 1945. RG24-C-3, vol. 15217, file 182 Open
Reports re: Bucherwald [Buchenwald], Cewiecim [Oswiecim], Bergen-Belsen concentration camps in Germany. RG25-A-3-b, vol. 4171, file 1426-P-40, part 1 Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Private records

Table 14: List of private records about the liberation from the Peter Stursberg fonds
Description File Number and Link Status
Despatches - Daily Herald & CBC (1 of 3), April 23, 1945. MG31 D78/R5637, vol. 20, file 12 Open
Despatches - Daily Herald & CBC (2 of 3). MG31 D78/R5637, vol. 20, file 13 Open
Despatches - Daily Herald & CBC (3 of 3). MG31 D78/R5637, vol. 20, file 14 Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Table 15: List of private records about the liberation, including from the Aba Bayesfsky fonds
Description File Number and Link Status
Clippings from Jewish Life and Canadian Jewish Weekly where Bayefsky describes his experience in Bergen-Belsen. R3940, vol. 21, file 7. Open
Alex Colville fonds. MG30-D292/R2111, vol. 1; 1984-014 BK-023 Open
Smart, Tom
Brief description: Curator and author, Smart, argues that Colville's experiences as a war painter, admitted to Bergen-Belsen, as it was being liberated, had an everlasting impact on his life and art.
Alex Colville: return Open
Tobie Steinhouse fonds, Personal material and memorabilia series. R11208, vol. 1, file 7 Open
Diary of Ethel Ostry. MG30-C184/R1756, vol. 1 Open
Herbert Steinhouse fonds. R8082, vols. 1-19 [PDF 63.73 KB] Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Table 16: List of private records about the liberation from the Mary Agnes Craig McGeachy and Erwin Schuller fonds
Description File Number and Link Status
United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration series, 1943-1946. R9369, vols. 2-3 Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Audiovisual accounts

Table 17: List of audiovisual accounts about the liberation
Description File Number Status
Calder, Al – Interview, 1986-09-23. Acc. 1988-0514, ISN 110638
Consultation copy: A1 9909-0027
Open
[Guernesey, camp de concentration], 1945-05-30. Acc. 1968-0033, ISN 155495.
No consultation copy
Open
[Concentration Camp Near Zutphen Captured by a Canadian Regiment], 1945-04-07. Acc. 1989-0453, ISN 140272
No consultation copy
Open
[Concentration Camp Near Zutphen Captured by a Canadian Regiment], 1945-04-07. Acc. 1967-0032, ISN 140272
No consultation copy
Open
[German Concentration Camps], 1944-09-30. Acc. 1967-0032, ISN 142942
Consultation copy: A1 2023-09-0002
Open
[German Concentration Camps], 1944-09-30. Acc. 1989-0453, ISN 139938.
Consultation copy: A1 2003-11-0059
Open
Halton, Matthew –Report, 1945-04-08. Acc. 1978-0014, ISN 251803
No existing consultation copy
Open
Halton, Matthew – Report. [World War II, Germany, and German responsibility for Dachau], 1945-05-04 . Acc. 1978-0014, ISN 250233
No existing consultation copy
Open
Herbert, Bill – Report. [Story of the Royal Canadian Air Force Officer Boss Walter,
who helped a mother and her son to meet again in a concentration camp], 1945-06-06.
Acc. 1978-0014, ISN 250347
No existing consultation copy
Open
Lafleur, Benoit – Reportage. [La défaite de l'Allemagne et des impresssions sur les horreurs de Buchewald, Dachau et les camps de concentration], 1945-05-01. Acc. 1978-0014, ISN 250213.
No existing consultation copy
Open
Lafleur, Benoit – Reportage.
[Camp de concentration d'Alderney], 1945-05-30.
Acc.1978-0014, ISN 250321
No existing consultation copy
Open
Ouimet, Marcel - Reportage.
[L'Allemagne et d'un camp de concentration, près de Deventer et Oske], 1945-04-08.
Acc. 1978-0014, ISN 250087
No existing consultation copy
Open
[Georges-P. Vanier à Buchenwald].
Déclaration du major-général Georges-P. Vanier, ambassadeur du Canada en France, sur sa visite au camp de concentration de Buchenwald: son témoignage des atrocités, 1945-04-30.
Acc. 1968-0033, ISN 155480.
Consultation copy : C02609
Open
Vanier, Georges P. – Talk. 1945.
Talk by Major-General Georges P. Vanier, Canadian ambassador in France, about World War II and German prison camps at Buchenwald.
Acc. 1971-0033, ISN 136210
No existing consultation copy
Open
Vanier, Georges P. – Talk. 1945.
Talk by Major-General Georges P. Vanier, Canadian ambassador in France, about World War II and German prison camps at Buchenwald. Part 2.
Acc. 1972-0002, ISN 136492
Consultation copy: A1 9809-0020
Open
[World War II Report and Comment].
Report by Bill Herbert followed by comments by General Georges P. Vanier. 1945-05-01.
Acc. 1978-0014, ISN 250217
No existing consultation copy
Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Published references

This section contains works that reflect the continuity of Jewish life following liberation, in addition to other aspects of liberation listed above.

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Arrival in Canada

Working with the International Refugee Organization, Canada accepted large numbers of survivors, whose integration made significant contributions to postwar Canadian society.

Government records

Table 18: List of government records pertaining to the arrival in Canada
Description File Number and Link Status
Intergovernmental Committee on Refugees, 1943-1948. RG25-B-1-k, vol. 2112, file AR 408/1, file part 1 Open
Admission to Canada of certain classes of Emigrants from Western Europe – Intergovernmental, 1946-1951. RG25-B-1-k, vol. 2113, file AR 408/4, part 1-4 Open
Refugees – General, 1946-1948. RG25-B-1-k, vol. 2113, file 408/5 Open
Revised regulations governing Canadian Immigration Policy, 1947. RG25-B-1-k, vol. 2119, file AR 444/1 Open
UN organizations - Committee on Refugees and Displaced Persons established by Economic and Social Council. RG25-A-3-b, File number: 5475-T-40 Restrictions vary
Admission to Canada of refugees and displaced persons - General file RG25, Volume number: 5103, File number: 5127-40 Restricted by law
International Organization for placement of war orphans – Plans re., 1945-1956. RG25-A-3-b, vol. 3805, file 8373-40, part 1 Restricted by law
Liaison Division, Department of National War Services, 1941-1961. RG26-B-1, vols. 10-12 Open
Committee records, Department of Citizenship and Immigration, 1947-1958. RG26-A-2-c, vols. 72-73 Open
United Nations General File [Press releases from United Nations Press Division, United Nations General Assembly releases re: immigration of displaced persons and refugees… related material], 1947-1957. RG26-A-1-a, vol. 81, file 1-24-13, file part 1 Open
Reception and Care of Canadian Deportees from the United States and from Other Countries, 1948-1957. RG26-A-1-c, vol. 121, file 3-29-3 Open
Jewish Immigration [with pamphlet by the Jewish Immigrant Aid Society], 1947-1957. RG26-A-1-c, vol. 123, file 3-32-14 Open
Admission to Canada from Poland [with some lists of Polish immigrants], 1946-1957. RG26-A-1-c, vol. 129, file 3-33-26 Open
Immigration from Austria, 1958-1968. RG26-A-1-c, vol. 124, file 3-33-4, part 2 Open
Displaced Persons - Skilled craftsmen for the Clothing Industry, 1946-1948. RG27-Q-1, vol. 278, file 1-26-5 Restricted by law
Displaced Persons - Skilled craftsmen for the Clothing Industry, 1948-1953. RG27-Q-1, vol. 279, file 1-26-5-1 Restricted by law
Skilled Craftsmen for the Clothing Industry - Fur Workers, 1947-1953. RG27-Q-1, vol. 279, file 1-26-5-2 Restricted by law
Immigration to Canada of Jews from Europe, 1937-1940. RG76-I-A-1, vol. 391, file 541782, part 5, microfilm C-10285 Open
Immigration to Canada of Jews from Europe (Pamphlets), 1940-1949. RG76-I-A-1, vol. 391, file 541782, part 6, microfilm C-10285 Open
Canadian Jewish Congress, 1947-1953. RG76-I-A-1, vol. 660, file B65714, microfilm C-10595 Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Private records

Table 19: List of private records pertaining to the arrival in Canada
Description File Number and Link Status
Jewish Immigrant Aid Services fonds. MG28-V38/R3533 Restrictions vary
Jewish Immigrant Aid Services of Canada,
Canadian Council on Social Development fonds.
MG28-I10/R1463, vol. 186, file number 17 Open
Jewish Family Services of the Baron de Hirsch Institute fonds. MG28-V86/R3288 Restrictions vary

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Published references

Audiovisual Accounts of Holocaust Survivors

Table 20: List of audiovisual accounts of holocaust survivors from the Canadian Jewish Congress fonds
Description File Number and Link Status
Voices of Survival. 1988 Acc. 1998-0102, ISN 282522
No consultation copy
Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Table 21: List of audiovisual accounts of holocaust survivors from the Emil L. Fackenheim fonds
Description File Number and Link Status
Don Harron's Morningside.
Interviews with Emil Fackenheim, Regina Eisenstein, Paul Trepman, 1978.
Acc. 1978-0188, ISN 435881
No existing consultation copy
Open
Interview of Emil Fackenheim by Eric Koch, 1978. Acc. 1979-0057, ISN 435453
Consultation copy number: A1 2020-02-0007
Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Table 22: List of audiovisual accounts of holocaust survivors from the CBC
Description File Number and Link Status
Return to Buchach. [Documentary about Mina Fosner] Acc. 1992-0197, ISN 200461
No existing consultation copy
Open
The Fifth Estate. [Includes interview with Henry Morgentaler] 1977. Acc. 1985-0397, ISN 6450
Consultation copies: V1 8510-0029; V1 9309-0042
Open
Take 30. [Interview with Henry Morgantaler] 1974. Acc. 1978-0316, ISN 171823
Consultation copy: V1 7905-0021
Open
Man Alive. [Includes interview of Jack Kuper] 1967. Acc. 1986-0810, ISN 79732
No existing consultation copy
Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Table 23: List of audiovisual accounts of Holocaust survivors from the Tom Fulton fonds
Description File Number and Link Status
Sunday Edition : On the Arts. [Interview with Jack Kuper] 1989. Acc. 2000-0038, ISN 315743
No consultation copy
Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Table 24: List of audiovisual accounts of Holocaust survivors from the Colin Strayer fonds
Description File Number and Link Status
Iskowitz. [Documentary about Gershon Iskowitz] 1982/1987. Acc. 1992-0097, ISN 194563
No existing consultation copy
Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Table 25: List of audiovisual accounts of Holocaust survivors from the Anna Heilman fonds
Description File Number and Link Status
Unlikely Heroes: [excerpt]. 2002. Acc. 2006-0013, ISN 370725
No existing consultation copy
Open
Heilman, Anna – Interview. 1994. Acc. 2006-0013, ISN 370729
Consultation copies: V1 2008-10-0025 V1 2008-10-0051
Open
Heilman, Anna - Interview Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation. 1996. Acc. 2006-0013, ISN 370726
No existing consultation copy
Open
Heilman, Anna – Reminiscence. 1997. Acc. 2006-0013, ISN 370727
Consultation copy: V1 2008-10-0023
Open
Heilman, Anna – Interview. 1997. Acc. 2006-0013, ISN 370728
Consultation copy: V1 2008-10-0023
Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Table 26: List of audiovisual accounts of Holocaust survivors from the Henry Morgentaler fonds
Description File Number and Link Status
Morgentaler, Henry – Entrevue. 1995. Acc. 2001-0019, ISN 324943
No existing consultation copy
Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Table 27: List of audiovisual accounts of Holocaust survivors from the Kati Vita fonds
Description File Number and Link Status
Morgentaler, Henry – Interview. 1966. Acc. 2002-0094, ISN 337227
Consultation copy: A1 2005-06-0068
Open
Rosenfarb, Chava – Interview. 1968. Acc. 2002-0094, ISN 337274
Consultation copy: A1 2005-07-0024
Open
Treblinka Feature. 1965. Acc. 2002-0094, ISN 337343
Consultation copy: A1 2005-09-0016
Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Table 28: List of audiovisual accounts of Holocaust survivors from the Charles G. Roland fonds
Description File Number and Link Status
Pernal, Eugenia – Interview. 1987. Acc. 1989-0379, ISN 136059
No consultation copy
Restricted by creator/donor
Wygodzka, B.J. – Interview. 1988. Acc. 1990-0135, ISN 154781
No consultation copy
Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Table 29: List of audiovisual accounts of Holocaust survivors from the Sol Littman fonds
Description File Number and Link Status
Rauchwerger Abraham – Reminiscence. 1987. Acc. 2006-0008, ISN 370609
No consultation copy
Restricted by creator/donor

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Table 30: List of audiovisual accounts of Holocaust survivors from the A.M. Klein fonds
Description File Number and Link Status
Martyrs and Heroes. [Speech by A.M. Klein] Acc. 1973-0081, ISN 228615
No consultation copy
Open
Ethnicity and Sculpture. [Featuring sculptors Gina Tannenbaum and Misha Frid.] 1986. Acc. 1993-0300, ISN 218497
No existing consultation copy
Open
Voice of the Pioneer. Mandelkern, Ben – Interview. 1988. Acc. 1989-0460, ISN 142813
Consultation copy: A1 9812-0018
Open
Jaworski, Tadeusz – Reminiscence. 1985. Acc. 2006-0008, ISN 370607
No consultation copy
Restricted by donor
Life and Times: Encounters with Moses. [Documentary on Moses Znaimer] 2006. Acc. 2008-0044, ISN 427342
No existing consultation copy
Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Table 31: List of audiovisual accounts of Holocaust survivors from the John Hirsch fonds
Description File Number and Link Status
War Orphan Project MG31 D81/R5005, vol. 13 Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Published references

This section contains publications by or about individuals listed in the above section on audiovisual archival material as they pertain to the Holocaust. Where applicable, some published references are listed elsewhere – (e.g. Fackenheim's works are in the Holocaust studies and Jewish response section). A search under the name in Aurora will yield the complete works by the author in LAC's holdings.

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Published reminiscences of Holocaust survivors

This section contains some published reminiscences of Holocaust survivors in Canada not mentioned elsewhere in this guide. In the case of a series or a publisher specializing in Holocaust memoirs, a search in Aurora under the series title or name of publisher would yield the complete holdings, whereas only one or two citations from each group are listed below.

  • Azrieli series of Holocaust survivor memoirs. Toronto: Azrieli Foundation
  • Collection Azrieli des mémoires de survivants de l'Holocauste. Toronto: Azrieli Foundation
    • The majority of the Azrieli titles are available in English and in French.

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Holocaust Assets and Restitution

Government records

At the end of the War, by international agreement, assets belonging to individuals persecuted by the Nazis were to be returned to their rightful owners or heirs. It is well documented that the enormity of the Holocaust, followed by the subsequent nationalization of property in Eastern Europe, presented serious obstacles to the fulfillment of this agreement. Nevertheless, many files within the Records of the Office of the Custodian of Enemy Property, now preserved by LAC, document the theft of property by Axis powers and the efforts by owners and heirs to seek compensation.

The challenge for the researcher is that the organization of these files by the Custodian does not differentiate between Canadians and foreign nationals, or those holding Canadian property and those holding property in enemy territories. The claims of many Jewish families are documented in these files, including the Ephrussis, the Rothschilds, and the Bloch-Bauers. Therefore, the researcher needs to identify the name of the property holder and search this fond by that name.

Table 32: List of government records about holocaust assets and restitution
Description File Number and Link Status
Claims files, War Claims Branch, 1933-1977. RG117-D-2, vols. 285-615 Open
Case files, Headquarters, 1939-1976. RG117-A-3, vols. 616-1541, 1782-2300, 2376-2830 Restrictions vary
International Claims series relating to the War Claims Commission, the Foreign Claims Commission and the Custodian of Foreign Property, 1916-2001, predominant 1942-1988. RG19/R200, vols. 7048-7108; 7110-7117 Restricted by law

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Private records

Table 33: List of private records about Holocaust assets and restitution
Description File Number and Link Status
James Duncan Hyndman fonds, files on War Claims Commission. MG30 E182, vols. 15-16, files 60-72
Online finding aid: James Duncan Hyndman fonds [PDF 84.38 KB]
Open
Manfred Saalheimer Fonds. MG31-H171/R4880, vol. 1 Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Looted and heirless books

The Nazi's seizure of Jewish books and religious articles began in the late 1930s in Germany and was extended to the occupied territories. In 1940, Alfred Rosenberg was appointed by Hitler to develop a library to collect "enemy" materials "for the planned educational and research institute of the Party, Hohe Schule, to be located in Chiemsee in Bavaria." Seized books designated for collection were often kept in storage in Germany such as at the Archival Depot in Offenbach.

In the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, the Offenbach Archival Depot was a central collecting and distributing point of books and other cultural materials in the American Zone of Germany. Jewish Cultural Reconstruction, an umbrella organization that included leading Jewish Studies scholars, identified collections and, where possible, returned them to institutions that continued to exist such as the Bibliotheca Rosenthaliana in Amsterdam. The heirless cultural materials, many of which had belonged to individuals, were distributed to institutions and Jewish communities worldwide, including to the Canadian Jewish Congress. The Canadian Jewish Congress, in turn, distributed materials within Canada, such as the Winnipeg Jewish Public Library, and which were later donated to the Lowy Collection.

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Canadian Jewish Congress Plates

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Nazi War Criminals in Canada and Abroad

Government and prime ministerial records

Table 34: List of government and prime ministerial records about Nazi war criminals in Canada and abroad
Description File Number and Link Status
War Criminals, 1942-1945. RG2-B-2, vol. 12, file W-41 Open
War Criminals, 1942-1948. RG2-B-2, vol. 120, file W-41 Open
Bulgarian and German atrocities in Yugoslav, 1942-1948. RG25-A-3-b, vol. 3034, file 4079-40 Open
German atrocities in Czechoslovakia, 1943-1960. RG25-A-3-b, vol. 3034, file 4079-B-40 Open
German atrocities in Poland, 1942-1948. RG25-A-3-b, vol. 3034, file 4079-E-40 Open
German atrocities in Lithuania, 1944. RG25-A-3-b, vol. 3034, file 4079-G-40 Open
War criminals trials – reaction from the public, 1946. RG24 -C-1-a, vol. 2053, file HQS-54-27-1-93 Open
No.1 War Crimes Investigation Unit, 1945-1946. RG24-C-26, vols. 5300-5301 Open
Privileged Documents [… affidavit of W.E. Harris in case of Jacques Duge de Bernonville v. J.M. Langlois; -… other materials], 1942-1951. RG26-A-2-a, vol. 70, file 37 Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Table 35: List of Prosecution, Conference and Regulation Case Files of the Department of Justice
Description File Number Status
Jacques Dugé de Bernonville – Board of Inquiry Under Immigration Act. Proposed deportation to France for alleged collaboration with the Germans during World War II – Conviction in France of treason par contumace. Statutes: Immigration Act RSC 1927, C93, S3(d)&(r); Quebec Habeas Corpus Act RSQ 1941, C340, S3, S4, S6, 1948-1953. RG 13 BAN 2000-01038-5, boxes 20-21, file 154708 Restricted by law
Jacques Dugé de Bernonville – Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus to contest the validity of the Department of Immigration order for his deportation to France. Previous sentence in France for collaboration with the Nazis - War Criminal. 1951-1952. RG 13 BAN 2000-01038-5, box 22, file 160576 Restricted by law

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Table 36: Relevant William Lyon Mackenzie King correspondence
Description File Number and Link Status
William Lyon Mackenzie King correspondence re Jacques de Bernonville, 1948. MG26-J4, vol. 236, page C159415, microfilm H-1473 Open
William Lyon Mackenzie King correspondence re Jacques de Bernonville, 1948. MG26-J1/R10383, vol. 443, page 405959, microfilm C-11052 Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Table 37: Relevant Louis St. Laurent correspondence
Description File Number and Link Status
Louis St. Laurent correspondence: Immigration – cases, 1947. MG26-L /R11214, vol. 13, file 70-E Open
Louis St. Laurent correspondence: Department of External Affairs -
General - Mr. St-Laurent's signature - Count Jacques De Bernonville, 1948-1949.
MG26-L /R11214, vol. 43, file D-12-D Open
Louis St. Laurent correspondence: Department of External Affairs -
Secret - Count Jacques de Bernonville, 1948-1949.
MG26-L /R11214, vol. 43, file number D-12-D Open
Louis St. Laurent correspondence: Nominal: Bernonville, Jacques, 1951 . MG26-L /R11214, vol. 237 Open
Louis St. Laurent correspondence: Immigration – Mr. St-Laurent's signature – French Collaborators, 1949-1951. MG26-L /R11214, vol. 115, file I-20-F Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Table 38: Other relevant government documents
Description File Number and Link Status
United Nations War Crimes Commission, 1944-1947. RG25-E-2-a, vols. 952-954 Open
War Crimes documents, 1945-1946. RG25-E-2-b, vols. 1001, 2607-2709 Open
General intelligence records, 1936-1945. RG25, Acc. 1977-78/087, vols. 1-12; 14 Restricted by law
United Nations – War Crimes Commission (UNWCC), 1942-1949. RG25-B-1-k, vol. 2108, file AR 405/4, part 1 Open
United Nations War Crimes Commission – National Offices Conference, 1945. RG25-B-1-k, vol. 2109, file AR 405/4/6 Open
Status of Jacques de Bernonville, 1948-1950. RG25-B-1-k, vol. 2122, file AR 1179/1 Restricted by law
Dr. Ferdinand Durcansky - ex-Vice-Chairman of the Slovak-German Society, 1950-1951. RG25-B-1-k, vol. 2123, file AR 1231/1 Restricted by law
War Crimes and Criminals – General, 1946-1950. RG25-B-2, vol. 2143, file 852 Part 1 Open
United Nations - International Court of Justice, 1948. RG25-B-2, vol. 2155, file part 1 Open
War Crimes - Secret Files, 1944. RG25-B-2, vol. 2459, file W60 Open
Establishment of International Court for the trial of war criminals and International Military Tribunal for trial of major war criminals - Proposals, 1946-1952. RG25-A-3-b, vol. 6200, file 4896-40 part 2 Open
War - Proposals for Atrocities Commission, 1941-1945. RG25-A-2, vol. 821, file 696, microfilm T-2204 Open
Suspected war criminals – General, 1962-1963. RG25-A-3-b, vol. 2487, file 102-DLP-40 Restricted by law
Intelligence Investigations – Suspected Collaborators, 1945. RG24-C, vol. 2269, file HQS-11-2, part 1 Restricted by law
Trials of collaborationists in France - Reports re., 1945-1950. RG25-A-3-b, vol. 3751, file 7233-40, part 1 Open
Trials in Belgium of collaborators with enemy forces -
Information provided by Canadians for use in trials, 1945-1948.
RG25-A-3-b, vol. 3809, file 8384-40, part 1 Open
Service in enemy forces-status, assistance immigration of persons who have been in services of enemy govts - Policy & regulations, 1947-1951. RG25-A-3-b, vol. 3556, file 939-C-40, part 1 Restricted by law
Service in enemy forces - Status, assistance, immigration, etc., of persons who have been in the services of enemy governments - Policy and regulations file, 1952- RG25, vol. 6341, file 939-C-40, part 2 Restricted by law
U.N. War Crimes Commission – Establishment and activities, 1942-1959.
Brief description: See link for more complete references.
RG25-A-3-b Open
Establishment of international court for the trial of war criminals and international military tribunal for trial of major war criminals - Proposals, 1943-1946. RG25-G-2, vol. 3182, file 4896-40 Restricted by law
Establishment of international court for the trial of war criminals and international military tribunal for trial of major war criminals – Proposals [pocket], 1943-1946. RG25-A-3-b, vol. 3182, file 4896-40, part 1 Open
Investigation of I.G. Farben, 1945-1962. RG25-A-3-b, vol. 3793, file 8216-40, part 1 Open
Deputy Minister's registry files: immigration (block 3).
Brief description: See link for lower level descriptions and more complete references.
RG26-A-1-c Restrictions vary
Example of file in Deputy Minister's registry files: immigration (block 3) series:
Enemy Aliens - Admission to Canada of, 1940-1951.
RG26-A-1-d, vol. 151, file 3-32-11 Open
Censorship rpts - 21 A Gp 16 Apr/31 Jul 45 (3 vols.) 153/Censor Reports/1/3) 1945. RG24-G-3-1-a, vol. 10548, file 215A21.023 (D2) Open
ATROCITIES & WAR CRIMES, Enemy (Nov 45) - Misc infm re: including, Instrs for Firing Squads; Reports of atrocities - "Wanted" persons, etc.; Alleged murder of Brit Paratroops on "D" Day at Herouvillette, Calvados, France, etc. (104/SECURITY/1-2) 1945. RG24-G-3-1-a, vol. 10566, file 215C1. (D13) Open
ENEMY NATIONALISTS (Oct/Nov 45) - Infm re War Crimes, "Wanted" Persons Lists. (104/SECURITY/1-4) 1945. RG24-G-3-1-a, vol. 10566, file 215C1. (D15) Open
PW CAMPS - Lists of Forced Labor, PW and Internment Camps in Germany, Austria & Poland, also Camp strengths and Locations, 1944-45 (59-17-1/Int), 1944-1945. RG24-G-3-1-a, vol. 10717, file 215C1.98 (D408) Open
WAR CRIMINALS - Corresp, msgs, instrs, lists of wanted persons, policy etc war criminals - May/Nov 45 various sources. - (145/War Criminals/1) 1945. RG24-G-3-1-a, vol. 10738, file 219C1.009 (D217) Open
Report of Special Investigations [Reports on investigations into travel bureau and agents dealing with immigration and persons assisting with immigrationl transcripts of interrogations of persons involved in immigration irregularities], 1953-1955. RG26-A-1-a, vol. 85, file 1-37-8, part 1 Open
RCMP Surveillance Intelligence, War Criminal Gestapo, 1974-1979. RG73-A/R1184, vol. 903, file 11-97, part 1 Restricted by law

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Private records

Table 39: List of private records about Nazi war criminals in Canada and abroad
Description File Number and Link Status
Marie-Claire Daveluy fonds
"Rumilly, Robert." 1935-1952 Correspondance qui touche sur Jacques de Bernonville.
R11856/LMS-0009, vol. 6 file 39 Open
Herbert S. Levy fonds. Race relations and subject files series. MG31-H156 /R4193, vols. 6-8 Restricted by creator/ donor
Sol Littman fonds
Brief description: Consult finding aid: Sol Littman fonds for more detailed references.
R2958 Restricted by creator/ donor
Textual records: microform
Open, no copying

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Commission of Inquiry on War Criminals

The Commission of Inquiry on War Criminals, also known as the Deschênes Commission, was an independent commission of inquiry established in 1985 to investigate the charge that a considerable number of Nazi war criminals had gained admittance to Canada through a variety of illegal or fraudulent means. The Commission was headed by Mr. Jules Deschênes, a Justice of the Court of Appeal of Quebec, and it was given wide powers to conduct its investigation, including the power to travel outside Canada.

The report of the Commission was submitted to the government at the end of 1986, and the government tabled the public portion of the report [Commission of Inquiry on War Criminals, Part 1: Public] on 12 March 1987 together with its response to the recommendations.

The Report recommended amendments to the Criminal Code to make prosecution possible in Canada, amendments to the Extradition Act and treaties of extradition to facilitate removal of individuals sought by foreign countries for war crimes, and amendments to laws and procedures governing denaturalization (removal of citizenship) and deportation.

Government records

Table 40: List of government records about the commission
Description File Number and Link Status
War Crimes Section, Department of Justice fonds, 1939-2010. RG13/R188-119-6-E Restricted by law
War Crimes and Special Investigations Unit, 1985-1995. RG18/ R196-192-9-E Restricted by law
Military Actions – War Crimes and Criminals- Commission of Inquiry on War Criminals –
Mutual Cooperation in the prosecution of War Criminals, 1963-1994.
Brief description: See link for more complete references.
RG25 -A-3-C, file block 21-10 Restricted by law
NAZI War criminals in Canada: The historical and policy setting from the 1940s to the present- prepared for the Commission of Inquiry on War Criminals by Alti Rodal: September 1986 – Rodal, A. RG25-A-4, vol. 21930, file 21-10-1 Restrictions vary
Commission of Inquiry on War Criminals fonds, 1985-1986. RG33-144/R1079 Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Private records

Table 41: List of private records about the commission
Description File Number and Link Status
John Turner fonds
"Deschenes Commission".
MG26-Q7-2/R1288, vol. 4, file 8 Restricted by creator/donor
Ukrainian Canadian Student Union fonds
Deschenes Commission, 1985-1986.
MG28 V103/R9107, vol. 52, files 11-12 90: Open
B'nai Brith Canada fonds
"League Studies" on the Deschenes Commission and War Criminals, 1981-1987.
MG28 V133/R6348, vols. 107-108 Open
German Canadian Congress fonds
Deschenes Commission and Criminal Code Amendments - correspondence, 1985-1991.
MG28 V160/R4459, vol. 39, file 21 Open
David Matas fonds
War crimes series, 1946-1991.
MG31 E109/ R5043, vol. 54-60 Restricted by creator/ donor
John Sopinka fonds
[86-20-B] Deschênes Inquiry - "Deschênes Commission" Address – Ukranian [sic] Professional & Busines [sic] Club - L'Hôtel - 24 January 1986 - 6:30pm.
MG31-E120/R1312, vol. 23, file 2 Open
W. Gunther Plaut fonds
CJC - Commission of Inquiry on War Criminals - Correspondence – Reports, 1985-1986.
MG31-F6/R5917, vol. 219, file 18 Restricted by creator/ donor
File Deschênes Commission - Correspondence – Information, 1986-1987. MG31-F6/R5917, vol. 224, file 7 Restricted by creator/ donor
Deschênes Commission Report, 1987. MG31-F6/R5917, vol. 224, file 8 Restricted by creator/ donor
Donald Mazankowski fonds
"Priorities and Planning Committee and Planning Sub-Committee," 1987-1988.
MG32 B57/R8096, vol. 267, files 3-7 Closed by creator/donor
Michael Wilson fonds
Deschenes Commission, 1985-1987.
R1360, vol. 159, file 9 Open
Canadian Civil Liberties Association fonds, Criminal Law. R9833, vol. 63 file 4 Restricted by creator/ donor
Paul Yuzyk fonds, Files received in 1986 from Senate. MG32-C67/R6782, vols. 63-68 Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Published references

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Holocaust Denial

Government records

Table 42: List of government records about the Holocaust denial: Supreme Court of Canada (link to case files)
Description File Number Status
Ernst Zundel v. Her Majesty the Queen RG 125, vol. 7755, file 31775 Closed
Ernst Zundel v. The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, et al. RG 125, vol. 7268, file 30720 Open
Ernst Zundel v. Her Majesty the Queen RG 125, vol. 7131, file 30427 Open
Ernst Zundel v. Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, et al. RG 125, vol. 7092, file 30360 Open
Ernst Zundel v. Sabina Citron, et al. RG 125, vol. 6150-6151, file 28009 Open
Ernst Zundel v. Sabina Citron, et al. RG 125, vol. 6150, file 28008 Open
Ernst Zundel v. The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, et al. RG 125, vol. 6141, file 27977 Open
Ernst Zundel v. Don Boudria, et al. RG 125, vol. 6041, file 27655 Open
Ernst Zundel v. Minister of Citizenship and Immigration RG 125, vol. 5661, file 26417 Open
Ernst Zundel v. Her Majesty the Queen RG 125, vol. 3998-4000, file 21811 Open
Her Majesty the Queen v. Ernst Zundel RG 125, vol. 3635, file 20310 Open
Her Majesty the Queen, et al. v. James Keegstra, et al. RG 125, vol. 4975, file 24296 Open
James Keegstra v. Her Majesty the Queen RG 125, vol. 4417, file 22455 Open
Her Majesty the Queen v. James Keegstra RG 125, vol. 3822 and 3823, file 21118 Open
Ross v. New Brunswick School District No. 15 (aka Attis v. Human Rights Commission of New Brunswick, et al.) RG 125, vol. 4873, file 24002 Open
Malcolm Ross v. Minister of Labour, et al. RG 125, vol. 3951, file 21638 Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Private records

Table 43: List of private records about the Holocaust denial
Description File Number and Link Status
John Sopinka fonds
Ernst Zundel v. Her Majesty the Queen, et al. (Crim.) (Ont.) (21811)
August 27, 1992 [pt 1].
R1312, vol. 12, file 21 Closed by creator/donor
Ernst Zundel v. Her Majesty the Queen, et al. (Crim.) (Ont.) (21811)
August 27, 1992 [pt 2].
R1312, vol. 12, file 22 Closed by creator/donor
Sol Littman fonds, Holocaust Denial and Historical Revisionism series. R2958, vols. 45-50 Restricted by creator/ donor
Bert Raphael fonds, Jewish Civil Rights Educational Foundation series. MG31-H189/R4877, vols. 3-5 Open
Herbert S. Levy fonds, Race relations and subject files series. MG31-H156/R4193, vols. 6-8 Restricted by creator/ donor

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Audiovisual sources

Table 44: List of audiovisual sources about the Holocaust denial
Description File Number and Link Status
Charles McLean Show. David Irving and Bernie Farber, 1990. Acc. 2006-0008, ISN 370604
No consultation copy
Restricted by donor
W5 – Case of Malcolm Ross, 1988. Acc. 1998-0214, ISN 87359
No consultation copy
Open
Forgetting the Holocaust. Canadian Association of Broadcasters, 1994. Acc. 1996-0463, ISN 265594.
No consultation copy
Open
Zündel, Ernst - Press Conference, 1998. Acc. 2000-0010, ISN 331575
No existing consultation copy
Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Published references

Holocaust Studies and Jewish Response

Private records

Table 45: List of private records -- Holocaust studies and Jewish response
Description File Number and Link Status
Emil L. Fackenheim fonds. MG31-D74/R4535 Restrictions vary
B'nai Brith Canada fonds, League studies. MG28 V133, vols. 107 and 108 Open
W. Gunther Plaut fonds. MG31-F6/R5917 Restrictions vary
Reuben Slonim fonds. MG31-F7/R6284 Restrictions vary
Reuven P. Bulka fonds. MG31-F14/R4259 Restrictions vary
Dow Marmur fonds. MG31-F19/R3641 Restricted by creator/donor

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Published references

Search Aurora under Emil Fackenheim for complete listings:

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Responses in Art, Literature, and Music

Performance

Table 46: List of performances as responses in art, literature, and music
Description File Number and Link Status
Gretl K. Fischer fonds. MG31-D99, vol. 1 Open
Poster for theatre performance of I Never Saw Another Butterfly. MG31-F14/R4259, box 2000949805 Open
Poster for Shoah: a film by Claude Lanzmann. RG149/R854 1989-482-59 Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Audiovisual Sources

Plays, television dramatizations and feature films about the Holocaust

Table 47: List of plays, television dramatizations, and feature films about the Holocaust
Description File Number and Link Status
The Paranormals. Part 2, The Throw of the Dice. CBC Playhouse, 1978. Acc. 1980-0106, ISN 256297
No existing consultation copy
Open
A Moment in the Light, Midweek Theatre, 1965. Acc. 1985-0268, ISN 2150
No existing consultation copy
Open
Emotional Arithmetic, 2007. Acc. 2007-0113, ISN 382552
No existing consultation copy
Open
Fugitive Pieces, 2007. Acc. 2008-0017, ISN 388331
No existing consultation copy
Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Documentaries about the Holocaust

Table 48: List of documentaries about the Holocaust
Description File Number and Link Status
Raoul Wallenberg Buried Alive, 1984. Acc. 1989-0438, ISN 138611
Consultation copy: V1 9801-0003
Open
To Mend the World. Rasky's Gallery: Poets, Painters, Singers and Saints, 1988. Acc. 1988-0372, ISN 101778
No existing consultation copy
Open
A Day in the Warsaw Ghetto - A Birthday Trip in Hell, 1991. Acc. 1992-0197, ISN 200462
No existing consultation copy
Open
Hate and Heroism : The Holocaust 50 Years Later, 1994. Acc. 1996-0463, ISN 265593
No consultation copy
Open
Zyklon Portrait, 1999. Acc. 2001-0184, ISN 329906
Consultation copy: V1 2002-01-0019
Open
The Boys of Buchenwald: From Darkness into Light, 2001. Acc. 2004-0022, ISN 350655
Consultation copy: V1 2004-07-0024
Open
Le Coeur d'Auschwitz, 2008/2010. Acc. 2011-0020, ISN 431588
No existing consultation copy
Open
Choice: The Henry Morgentaler Story. Part 1 of 2, 2003. Acc. 2005-0253, ISN 367224
Consultation copy: V1 2005-11-0003
Open
Choice: The Henry Morgentaler Story. Part 2 of 2, 2003. Acc. 2005-0253, ISN 367226
No existing consultation copy
Open
Silent Song, 2001. Acc. 2003-0015, ISN 340664
No existing consultation copy
Open
The Walnut Tree, 2000. Acc. 2001-0184, ISN 329907
Consultation copy: V1 2002-01-0019
Open
Inside Hana's Suitcase, 2007. Acc. 2009-0072, ISN 419977
Consultation copy: V1 2009-09-0117
Open

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Musical Responses to the Holocaust

Classical music

Table 49: List of classical music responses to the Holocaust
Description File Number and Link Status
Brian Cherney fonds Shekhinah. Manuscript, musical score for solo viola. R12812, vol. 41, file 6 Open
Oskar Morawetz fonds From the Diary of Anne Frank.
Brief description: Published annotated musical score for voice and orchestra, see PDF file, nos 262 and 263.
R4538 Open
From the diary of Anne Frank. Sound recording: "From the diary of Anne Frank" not applicable

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

  • I never saw another butterfly [music]: a cycle of songs to children's poems (1942–1944) from the concentration camp at Terezin by Srul Irving Glick.
  • CBC commissioned Glick to write this work for Canadian contralto Maureen Forrester.

Popular music

  • Red Sector A , a song written and performed by the Canadian rock band Rush. The Holocaust song, included on the band's 1984 album Grace Under Pressure, was written after hearing the story of the liberation of lead-singer Geddy Lee's mother, Manya Rubenstein, from the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.
    • Published reference: sound recording
  • Lunatic Fringe , a song written and performed by the Canadian band Tom Cochrane and Red Rider, was inspired by the Holocaust and was included on the band's 1981 album release As Far As Siam.
    • Published reference: sound recording

Artistic Responses

William Kurelek sketchbook

MG31-D231/R4640, vol. 16, items 28.1 -- 28.14

Open

Published References: Literary, Artistic, and Educational Responses to the Holocaust

Literary

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Visual: early Holocaust photo documentation

  • Undzer .hurbn in bild. Our Destruction in Pictures. Bergn-Belzn: Aroysgeber Tsen.tal .komi.te.t fun di bafray.te Yidn in der Britisher zone, 1946 (Farlag "Undzer sh.time").
    • Brief description: Early photo documentation of the Holocaust. Text in Yiddish, Hebrew, English and German.
  • Zaglada Zydostwa Polskiego: Album Zdje'c . Extermination of Polish Jews: Album of Pictures. Lódz: Centralna Zydowska Komisja Historyczna w Polsce, 1945.
    • Brief description: Early photo documentation of the Holocaust.

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Visual: artistes' books, secondary sources on Holocaust art, etc.

Please note: The resources listed are intended to be a sampling, not an exhaustive list. Further research may be required.

Educational

  • Peli. Moshe. Gibore ha-geto: pirke kriah le-kitolt ha-nemukhot. New York: Histadruth Ivrith of America; Montreal: Canadian Association for Hebrew Education and Culture, 1963.
    • Brief description: School book on the Warsaw Ghetto intended for elementary school children learning Hebrew.

General Tools and Sources for Information on the Holocaust