Understanding the Holocaust through Primary Sources

Studying history requires looking past retrospective summaries and engaging directly with the voices of those who lived it. This course introduces you to the foundational methods of analyzing primary sources from the Holocaust to uncover personal, administrative, and historical truths. By reading and analyzing curated historical texts, you will learn how to evaluate diaries, official administrative records, and postwar testimonies. You will develop the critical thinking skills needed to cross-reference documents, identify biases, and reconstruct complex historical narratives with sensitivity and accuracy. What you'll learn: Analyze personal diaries and correspondence to understand individual experiences; Evaluate official administrative and bureaucratic documents to trace historical policies; Interpret postwar survivor testimonies while considering the nuances of memory and oral history; Apply modern digital archiving search strategies to locate and access international primary source databases; Understand the ethical considerations and best practices for preserving and citing sensitive historical records; Identify propaganda, bias, and missing perspectives within official state-issued documentation. The course begins with foundational definitions of primary and secondary sources before guiding you through thematic readings of personal, official, and retrospective records. You will progress from basic document transcription to advanced comparative analysis of multiple source types. This course is designed for beginners, history enthusiasts, and starting researchers, with no prior background in archival research or Holocaust studies required. Start your journey into historical research and learn to read between the lines of the past.