University of London Archives | Details | Oral history papers and audio recordings for 'Changing Countries' research project

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TitleOral history papers and audio recordings for 'Changing Countries' research project

Held atUniversity of London, Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies

Reference codeEXS/1/RCGAES/3

Date1994-1997

Creator
- University of London, Institute of Modern Languages Research, Research Centre for German and Austrian Exile StudiesMore Info on CreatorLess Info on Creator
  The Centre for German & Austrian Exile Studies was established in 1995 at what was then the Institute of Germanic Studies (later the Institute of Modern Languages Research). The Centre brought together the London Research Group for German and Austrian Exiles with the Research Centre for Germans and Austrians in Britain at the University of Aberdeen.

Scope and ContentContains the records of an oral history project carried out by the Research Centre for German and Austrian Exile Studies with 35 German-speaking refugees from Nazi-occupied Central Europe who came to the UK in the 1930s. The working group behind the project were Marietta Bearman, Charmian Brinson, Anthony Grenville, Stefan Howald, Marian Malet, Jennifer Taylor, Irene Wells and Erna Woodgate. Three of the interviews were carried out by Alexandra Gruendel and Jane Ennis on behalf of the Centre. 34 of the recordings were made in 1995-1996 and formed the basis of the research for a Libris publication by the Centre in 2002, 'Changing Countries'. Of the 34 individuals interviewed in 1994-1996, 11 were male and 23 were female. 22 had held German citizenship, eight had held Austrian citizenship and four held Czech citizenship (two of whom lived in Austria). The interviewees were aged between 69 and 90 when they were interviewed; ten of them were aged under 15 when they emigrated and of these, three came to the UK on the Kindertransport. 28 were Jewish and six were political refugees. The 35th interview, with Ursula Shepherd in 1996, was added to the archive in 2015 by Marian Malet. This interview was planned as part of the main project in 1995-1996 but had to be carried out at a later date because US had moved to Australia. All 35 recordings were made on cassette tapes. In 2012 the 1995-1996 recordings were digitised with funding by the Martin Miller and Hannah Norbert-Miller Trust. The interview with US was digitised in 2015.

Conditions governing accessOpen. At least 48 hours' notice is required for research visits. When the recordings were first deposited in the archives, researchers were required to seek permission from the Research Centre for German and Austrian Exile Studies for access to the audio recordings. In 2014 that condition was lifted and researchers may now access the recordings in the Reading Room without first gaining the Centre's permission.

Extent36 folders; 87 CDs; 57 cassette tapes

Level of descriptionseries

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