USHMM Presents Taking Stock of the Vatican's Holocaust-Era Archives

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum presents "Open and Accessible: Taking Stock of the Vatican's Holocaust-Era Archives," in association with The Commonwealth Club on Tuesday, February 7, at 6 p.m., PT.

In March 2019, His Holiness Pope Francis said - now famously - that “the Church is not afraid of history.” The pope spoke about opening the estimated 16 million pages of archival material for the pontificate of Venerable Pius XII (1939-1958), which became accessible for research in March 2020.

February 2023 marks nearly three years since one of the most important new archives related to the Holocaust opened. What does the research process in these archives look like on the ground? What have scholars discovered? What crucial questions remain, and how do they reshape our understanding of this era? A question-and-answer session with the audience will follow the program.

Panelists include:

· Suzanne Brown-Fleming, Ph. D., Director of the Museum’s International Academic Programs.

· Alexis Herr, Ph. D., Adjunct Professor at the University of San Francisco; and author of The Holocaust and Compensated Compliance in Italy: Fossoli di Carpi, 1942-1952.

· Moderator: Jason DeRose, Western Bureau Chief for NPR News.

“We look forward to this fully in person event and our first program in 2023 at The Commonwealth Club in partnership with the Taube Foundation,” said Marla Eglash Abraham, the Museum’s Western Regional Director. “The work by the Museum and other organizations to gain access to the Vatican’s Holocaust archives is a monumental feat and the discussion will be impactful.”

The Museum’s Western Region encompasses the ten western states including Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.

"Open and Accessible: Taking Stock of the Vatican's Holocaust-Era Archives," program is open to the public with in-person fee at $10 for members and $20 for nonmembers; online fee is free for members and $10 for nonmembers with advance registration required. For additional information, contact the Museum’s Western Regional Office at 202.817.4725 or email [email protected].

The Commonwealth Club, is located at 110 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94105.

A nonpartisan, federal educational institution, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is America’s national memorial to the victims of the Holocaust dedicated to ensuring the permanence of Holocaust memory, understanding and relevance. Through the power of Holocaust history, the Museum challenges leaders and individuals worldwide to think critically about their role in society and to confront antisemitism and other forms of hate, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity. For more information, visit ushmm.org.