Facts About The Center

The American Red Cross Holocaust and War Victims Tracing Center is part of a national program for persons seeking the fates of loved ones missing since the end of WWII and the Holocaust and its aftermath. Opened Sept. 24, 1990, the Center assists U.S. residents searching for proof of internment, forced/slave labor, or evacuation from former Soviet territories on themselves or family members. This documentation may be required for reparations.

While the American Red Cross has been providing tracing for victims of WWII and the Nazi regime since 1939, impetus for the creation of the center occurred in 1989 with the release of files on 130,000 people detained for forced labor and 46 death books containing 74,000 names from Auschwitz. Microfilm copies released to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) by the Soviet Union provided the single largest source of information since the end of WWII.

• All tracing services at the Holocaust and War Victims Tracing Center are confidential and free of charge.
• The American Red Cross pioneered a process with the ICRC's International Tracing Service in Arolsen, Germany, that results in expedited replies to searches.
• To facilitate tracing requests, the American Red Cross taps into the worldwide network of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies and the Magen David Adom in Israel or their equivalents, and consults museums, archives and international organizations and websites.
• Cases remain open, and if new information becomes available, it is immediately shared with the inquirer.
• Inquiries are initiated through Red Cross chapters. The Center has sought the fate of more than 40,000 individuals missing since the Holocaust and WWII.

Objectives of the Holocaust and War Victims Tracing Center

Location and family reunification
In a small but significant number of cases, tracing activities reveal that the person being sought has survived. Family members have been reunited with relatives they spent decades searching for.

Persons sought found alive: more than 1,200

Closure
In more than 12,000 cases, clients have received confirmation of death or deportation of family members. The deaths of people sent to the extermination camps were not recorded by the Nazis. While tragic for survivors and their families, this allows closure, an important part of the mourning process.

Reparations and pensions
The Red Cross can secure documentation regarding proof of forced labor, slave labor, forced evacuation from former Soviet territories or internment in concentration camps, required for submitting restitution claims.

Certifications of Internment: more than 1,200