Nuremberg Trials go digital at UND

Will Stolt

Document Type

News Article

Publication Date

4-3-2014

Campus Unit

Chester Fritz Library

Abstract

The University of North Dakota Chester Fritz Library, in collaboration with the UND Center for Human Rights and Genocide Studies and the UND Department of English, has created the "Nuremberg Trials Digital Collections: Nazi Occupation of Norway."

This digital collection provides important primary resources for the study of human rights, Norway and World War II.

The new digital collection uses documents from the UND's Nuremberg Trials Collection, preserved in the Library's Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections. More than 1,100 documents relating to the Nazi invasion and occupation of Norway (1940 -1944) have been digitized and transcribed. Content in the digital collection features transcripts of indictments, arraignments, opening and closing statements, and testimony as well as evidentiary documents. Page images and supplementary maps also are presented as part of the collection.

Work on project began in 2008 and was completed in 2014. The project provided valuable experience to students in English classes who participated in the digitization and transcription activities. Their work combined traditional features of literary study with technology and was very valuable for the project. The students gained practical experience involving historical analysis and computer encoding skills which could be applied in their future careers.

The original concept of the project was envisioned by Gregory S. Gordon, director of the UND Center for Human Rights and Genocide Studies and associate professor of law at UND. Gordon was instrumental in obtaining a generous donation from the Norges Hjemmefrontmuseum in Oslo Norway to help fund project activities.

Crystal Alberts, assistant professor in the UND Department of English, directed the digitization project and supervised student work. Curt Hanson, head of the Elwyn B. Robinson Department of Special Collections, consulted on the organization of the Nuremberg Trials Collection and Will Martin, the Library's web site developer, provided technical expertise for the project.

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