The Tracing Process

1. An inquirer calls or visits his or her local Red Cross chapter and asks to complete a Holocaust and World War II Tracing Inquiry Form for each sought person. All information provided on the form(s) remains confidential.
2. A chapter caseworker sends the completed Tracing Inquiry form(s) to the American Red Cross Holocaust and War Victims Tracing Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Each case is assigned a number and carefully evaluated.
3. In the search for information, the Center volunteers and staff correspond with museums, archives, organizations, and Red Cross and Red Crescent societies throughout the world as well as with the Magen David Adom in Israel.
4. As soon as the Center receives new case information, it is sent to the inquirer's local Red Cross chapter for prompt delivery to the inquirer.
5. The American Red Cross provides regular progress reports to the inquirer.
6. When a case is initiated through another Red Cross or Red Crescent society or the Magen David Adom in Israel, the Center coordinates with local Red Cross chapters to search for the sought person believed to reside in the United States. These searches can be extensive, as names and addresses listed on earlier records may have changed.