WORLD WAR II

The history of the Second World War has thus far been written predominantly as a history of Nazi aggression and its perpetrators. The Holocaust and the crimes of the Wehrmacht, as well as resistance movements in the occupied countries have been the focus of historical research. In contrast, there is a notable dearth of research on and documentation of the situation and perspectives of local populations living in German-occupied Europe.

The international research and editorial project ‘Societies under German Occupation – Experiences and Everyday Life in World War II’ seeks to address this deficit. The aim of the project is to compile a collection of sources, in printed and digital form, which documents the diverse and complex everyday circumstances, experiences and survival strategies of ordinary people in the states and territories occupied by the Wehrmacht during the war.

In order to cater for a diverse international audience, the edition will be published in hybrid form. This combines the advantages of a multiple-volume, printed publication in English with a digital project portal which presents the sources both in English and the original languages. The sources are transcribed, annotated and translated according to project-specific guidelines which ensure the highest scholarly standards.

The digital edition will include a number of facsimiles, in order to convey the visual and material qualities of selected sources, and advanced interactive search functions. The project portal will also offer additional, specifically developed features for teaching purposes. Preparations for the online edition are being made with the Trier Center for Digital Humanities which will be the main project partner for the digital implementation of the edition, and with the support of the Interdisciplinary Center for Edition and Documentation Studies (University of Wuppertal) and the Center for Media and Interactivity (University of Gießen).