Germany to open Holocaust archives

[barb162]

Germany to open Holocaust archives


Wednesday 19 April 2006, 1:51 Makka Time, 22:51 GMT


Justice Minister Brigitte Zypries announced the German decision


Germany is to clear the way to opening up records on 17 million victims of the Nazis, a huge step towards ending a long battle over access to a vast and detailed look into the Holocaust.


Brigitte Zypries, the German justice minister, said on Tuesday that her country would work with the US to assure the opening of the archives, which are held in the German town of Bad Arolsen, and allow historians and survivors access to about 30 million to 50 million documents.

Jews, gypsies, the disabled and homosexuals were among the millions killed by the Nazis during the second world war.

Speaking in German, Zypries said: "We now agree to open the data in Bad Arolsen in Germany. We now assume the data will be safeguarded by those countries that copy the material and use it."

snip
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/8633EA3D-1AC2-41DF-9B7B-D2C385B1E10F.htm

[Lithos]

1. Says a lot

That Al Jazeera would publish this story in a way which is respectful when many other channels did not.

L-

[barb162]

2. Yeah!

I was somewhat surprised they printed the story. And it was really respectful.

[Kellanved]

3. This is the result of a long debate

The debate was covered initially in the English media, but they lost interest.

http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,411983,00.html