Working with emotionally challenging archival materials: Holocaust

International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) guidelines provide archivists and researchers with a working definition to help identify what material should be classified as Holocaust-related. These guidelines cover types of materials as well as a wide range of subject areas. The IHRA guidelines assist archivists and researchers to "distinguish as much as possible experiences and data pertaining to records relevant to the study of the Holocaust from those relevant to other Nazi crimes".

When working with archival material relating to Jewish history—particularly the Holocaust—it’s important to be aware that some cataloguing language may reflect the terminology of the original sources or the language of perpetrators.

This "perpetrator language" can be dehumanising, biased, or offensive, yet it may appear in archival descriptions, item titles, or metadata—sometimes without context. Archivists and researchers should approach such language with critical awareness and sensitivity, recognising its impact while also preserving the historical record.

For further guidance on this issue, see:
Problematic Terminology When Cataloguing Holocaust-Related Material

We are grateful to Dr Pamela Aveyard, an experienced researcher in Holocaust-related materials, for authoring this guide

Using the IHRA working definition, QUB Special Collections and Archives hold the following types of Holocaust-related materials:

• Textual records, including but not limited to government documents, legal proceedings, institutional records, personal papers, diaries, memoirs, and correspondence;
• Electronic copies, facsimiles, casts, microfilm, and photographic reproductions;
• Audio and video interviews;
• Books, pamphlets, manuscripts, and transcripts;
• Originals and copy prints of photographs, photographic albums, transparencies, and photograph negatives.

These materials include items that relate to the following subject areas:

• Prewar communal life of victim groups in those areas affected by the Holocaust;
• The Nazi rise to power in Germany and the rise of fascism and ethnically-oriented ideologies and policies in other European states;
• The flight of victim groups from Nazi-occupied Europe;
• Refugee communities in various countries;
• The response (or lack thereof) of the international community to the rise of Nazism and the persecution of Jews and other targeted groups;
• The roundups, deportations, and murder of European Jewry:
• Mass shootings as conducted by Einsatzgruppen, other German units, indigenous police, auxiliary units, and collaborators;
• Ghettos, concentration camps, labour camps, and killing centres;
• Persecution of and by indigenous populations in Nazi-controlled and Nazi-allied Europe;
• Regimes of Nazi satellite states and their treatment of the populations under their control;
• Resistance to Nazi policies and actions;
• Rescue;
• Life in hiding during the Holocaust;
• Liberation of Holocaust survivors;
• Experiences of survivors after liberation;
• Jewish experiences in DP camps and elsewhere after liberation;
• Immigration to Palestine, the United States, and other countries after the war;
• Claims for restitution and reparations;
• Holocaust memorialization and commemoration.

Holocaust-related materials at QUB Special Collections and Archives can be found in the following collections:

• The Rabbi Jacob Shachter Collection (MS 55/A350)
• The Dr David Warm Oral History Collection (MS 62)
• The Jewish Gazette (DS135.I7 JEW)
• The records of the Belfast Hebrew Congregation (MS 61)
• A number of books and pamphlets: Chayenu: Chanucah 5710 (SC/p BM695.H3 CHAY)

Engaging with Holocaust-related materials can present unique emotional and ethical challenges for both researchers and staff. The deeply traumatic nature of these collections may evoke strong emotional responses—this is a natural and valid reaction, and it often reflects the profound weight and historical significance of the material.

When working with these collections, it’s important to remain mindful of both the content and the cumulative impact of prolonged engagement. Practising self-awareness and monitoring your emotional responses over time can help you recognise when you may need to step back or adjust your workload.

You might find it helpful to:

• Reflect on your emotional responses and what they may be telling you

• Use peer support or debriefing conversations with trusted colleagues

• Be intentional about balancing time with difficult material alongside less intense tasks

• Seek formal support if needed

The concept of vicarious trauma—the emotional residue from repeated exposure to others’ traumatic experiences—may be particularly relevant when working with Holocaust testimony, documents, or imagery. For further information, including signs and coping strategies, see:
BMA Advice and Support: Vicarious trauma – signs and strategies for coping