HCNC’s Oral History Project, formerly the Bay Area Holocaust Oral History Project, actively records and preserves detailed oral history with survivors and witnesses to the Holocaust. Our interviewees include people who lived through concentration camps and forced labor, those who survived in hiding or under false papers, as well as rescuers, liberators, émigrés or refugees, and other witnesses who lived under the Nazi regime.

To date, our oral history archive consists of over 1,700 audio and video testimonies with accompanying documents, transcriptions and informational materials such as photographs and letters. These interviews record for posterity a complete picture of the realities of the Holocaust as experienced by individuals living in a multitude of European countries occupied by Nazi Germany.

We understand that the stories of survivors have a meaning that reaches far beyond that of Europe in the 1930s and 1940s. The accounts of these survivors explore the relationship between discrimination, violence, genocide, and war. Their testimonies break the silence, which is a consequence of trauma and oppression. We believe that it is our obligation to preserve these stories, which retain a striking relevance to the survival of the human race today as well as for the generations to come.

Uses

As a non-profit organization dedicated to giving Holocaust survivors and witnesses the means to record their histories, we encourage educators, scholars, students and the general public to access our archives. The collection can be used as research material for a broad range of studies, including psychology, sociology, political science, immigrant studies, genealogical studies, European history, Jewish history and Holocaust analysis.

Testimonies

Some excerpts from our compelling interviews can be found on the Testimonies page.

If you are a survivor or witness who would be interested in sharing your testimony, or if you know someone who might be willing to record their experiences, please contact us at 650-570-6382. More information for potential interviewees can be found here.

Volunteer opportunities

Would you like to get involved with the OHP? We need volunteers to watch and summarize some of our interviews to add to our catalogue. If you are interested, please contact us ohp@hcnc.org