10 May 2007
The International Tracing Service's Holocaust-era archive in Bad Arolsen, Germany, reportedly plans to transfer millions of images of documents on Nazi concentration camp prisoners to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Although they will remain under embargo, according to a report from the JTA news agency, citing sources in Germany and the United States familiar with the matter. Next week, a meeting of the 11-nation committee that oversees the archive is expected to authorize the partial transfer on condition that an embargo be imposed on access to the materials. The embargo is needed because three of the 11 nations that have to ratify the release of the documents – Greece, Belgium and France – have yet to sign the authorization agreement.
European sources familiar with the process suggested that Belgium and France would not sign the agreement until after this summer or even early next year because of forthcoming parliamentary elections. Still, the process of data transfer is being accelerated to prepare for the eventual release. The Washington Holocaust Museum has agreed to keep the documents secret until authorized by the government committee.
