Finding Aid for the Dr. David M. Crowe Personal Papers 2018.001.h.r
Tiana Taliep
Oskar Schindler Archives
10/01/2018
Contributing Institution:
Oskar Schindler Archives
Title: Dr. David M. Crowe personal papers
Identifier/Call Number: 2018.001.h.r
Physical Description:
1 Linear Feet
2 document boxes
Date (inclusive): 1995-2005
Abstract: The Dr. David M. Crowe personal papers is a collection that includes correspondence and research notes from 1990 – 2004 that
supported the writing of his biography on Oskar Schindler.
Language of Material:
English
.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open for research. Selected addresses have been restricted for the privacy of those individuals.
Conditions Governing Use
All requests subject to limitations noted in divisional policies on reproduction
Scope and Contents
Divided into two series spanning the years 1990 to 2004, the collection documents Dr. David M. Crowe's research for his book
Oskar Schindler: The Untold Account of His Life, Wartime Activities, and the True Story Behind the List. The first series
entitled Correspondence comprises typed letters and email correspondence with individuals including Holocaust survivors, as
well as various institutions regarding research accommodations. The second series entitled Research Notes includes loose-leaf
papers and notebooks including personal notes from interviews with Holocaust survivors; Schindler biography notes, criteria
for admissions to the Righteous Among the Nation, and notes on the movie "Schindler's List."
Arrangement
The collection divided into two series: Correspondence and Research Notes
Separated Materials
Material related to the Holocaust rescuer Oskar Schindler has been placed in the Oskar Schindler Archive.
Preferred Citation
[Item title/description; Box number/ Folder number] Dr. David M. Crowe personal papers (2018.001.h.r), Oskar Schindler Archive,
Chapman University, CA.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Dr. David M. Crowe
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in alphabetical order.
Bibliography
Dr. David M. Crowe is a Professor Emeritus of History and Law at Elon University and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University.
Dr. Crowe specializes in international criminal law, the Holocaust, history of the Romani people in Eastern Europe and Russia,
and 20th century China.
Dr. Crowe's career began at the National Archives of the United States where he worked as a Russian specialist. He subsequently
worked as an Archivist at the Department of Defense tasked to support the United States Senate's Church Committee investigation.
He has also taught at the Central European University in Budapest, Hungary. Dr. Crowe has been a visiting scholar at the at
the Harriman Institute at Columbia University, and a Fellow at the Center for Slavic, Eurasian, and East European Studies
at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. From 1900 to 2004, he served as a member of the Education Committee of
the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C. He was also the chairman of North Carolina Council on the
Holocaust.
Dr. Crowe has been a consultant to national and international organizations seeking to further the awareness of human right
issues and the need for educational reform in Central and Eastern Europe. He has testified before the United States Congress'
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe and the New York City Council's Subcommittee on Immigration. He has also
served as a witness in numerous court cases in the United States and Canada regarding the Roma and other ethnic groups.
Dr. Crowe's books cover a variety of subjects ranging from the history of national and international criminal tribunals, the
Holocaust, 20th century China, and the history of the Roma in Eastern Europe and Russia. His most recent books include War
Crimes, Genocide, and Justice: A Global History (2014) Germany and China: Transnational Encounters since the 18th Century
(2014), and Crimes of State, Past and Present: Government-Sponsored Atrocities and International Legal Responses (2011). His
earlier publications include Oskar Schindler: The Untold Account of His Life, Wartime Activities, and the True Story Behind
the List (2004), A History of the Gypsies of Eastern Europe and Russia (1994; 2007), The Baltic States and the Great Powers:
Foreign Relations, 1938-1940 (1993), and The Gypsies of Eastern Europe (1991). His books have been translated into Chinese,
Dutch, German, Japanese, Polish, and Ukrainian.
In 1994, the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies awarded Dr. Crowe the V. Stanley Vardys President's Prize for
Books on Baltic Studies for his The Baltic States and the Great Powers: Foreign Relations, 1938-1940. Elon University awarded
him its first Distinguished Scholar's Award in 2000, and the Arts and Science Distinguished Scholar's Award in 2013. In 2010,
Dr. Crowe was the recipient of the Southern Conference on Slavic Studies' Richard Stites Senior Scholar Award for Contributions
to the Field of Slavic Studies.
Dr. Crowe traveled extensively to gather information to support his book, Oskar Schindler: The Untold Account of His Life,
Wartime Activities, and the True Story Behind the List, including conducting research at institutions in Germany, Poland,
Israel, Argentina, as well as the United States. In 2016, Dr. Crowe donated his research material to the Sala and Aron Samueli
Holocaust Memorial Library. The archival collection consists of primary and secondary resource material on Holocaust rescuer
Oskar Schindler. This collection constitutes the largest complete archival collection on Schindler.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Holocaust survivors -- History -- 20th Century
Holocaust scholars
Righteous Gentiles in the Holocaust
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945) -- Historiography
Correspondence
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
This correspondence series contains personal letters and emails with individuals and institutions for Crowe's research on
Oskar Schindler's biography. Some of the institutions include Bundesarchiv, Yad Vashem, Muzeum Gross-Rosen, and Museum Svitavy.
Crowe corresponded with several individuals, including Holocaust survivors, Dr. Moshe Bejski and Mietek Pemper to gain information
on Schindler and to arrange interviews. The series includes letters from Edith Schlegl, Schindler's daughter who was born
out of wedlock with Aurelie Schlegel. Of particular interest are the letters from Christian and Tina Staehr, which Crowe arranged
travel plans to visit the Staehr family at their home in Stuttgart, Germany. Christian Staehr is the son of Ami Staehr, who
became a friend of Schindler during the latter part of his life. In 1999, the Christian found Schindler's suitcase of papers
that Ami stored in the attic. The correspondence includes letters regarding arrangements for the visit, and a letter from
Staehr asking to remain in touch. The Staehrs sent photographs with the letter from Crowe's visit. This series is arranged
in alphabetical order.
document-box 1, folder 1
A – K
1997-2003
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 2
The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
1997-2003
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 3
Archiwum Państwowe w Krakowie
2000
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 4
Biejski, Moshe Dr.
1999
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 5
Brodsky, Adriana
2001-2002
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 6
Bundesarchiv
1999-2005
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 7
Fiore, Robert J.
2000-2005
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 8
Guntová, Jitka
1999
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 9
Hob, Karen
2000
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 10
Keller, Claudia
1999
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 11
Keneally, Thomas
2000-2004
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 12
Klimova, Ilona
1999-2002
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 13
Knechtel, Erhard
2000
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 14
Kohn, Miriam
1998-1999
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 15
M – R
1998-2004
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 16
Museum Svitavy
1998-1999
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 17
Muzeum Gross-Rosen
2000
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 18
O'Neil, Robin
1998-1999
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 19
Osborne, James
2003-2004
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 20
Państwowe Muzeum Oświecim Brzezink
1999-2000
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 21
Pemper, Mietek
1999
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 22
Raabe, Jenny
2003
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 23
S –Z
1994-2004
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 24
Schlegl, Edith
1999-2000
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 25
Spielberg, Steven
2000
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 26
Staehr, Christian and Tina
1993-2002
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 27
Trautwein, Dieter Dr.
1999-2001
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 28
Szymura, Konstancja
2000-2002
Language of Material: English.
document-box 1, folder 29
Yad Vashem
1999-2000
Language of Material: English.
Research Notes
Language of Material: English.
Scope and Contents
The research notes series contains typed and handwritten notes in notebooks and on loose sheets of paper. The notes supported
the writing of Crowe's book, Oskar Schindler: The Untold Account of His Life, Wartime Activities, and the True Story Behind
the List. In conducting his research, Dr. Crowe traveled to numerous countries in which he visited relevant individuals, archives,
and museum to gather material. The series holds three notebooks from his travels in Argentina, and from Krakow and Svitavy,
Poland. The series includes Crowe's interview notes of several Schindler's 'List't survivors, including Mietek Pemper, Mila
Levison-Page, Herz Pomeranz, and Sol Urbach, as well as notes from interviews with Christian and Tina Staehr. Additionally,
the collection contains biography notes of Schindler, criteria for selection to the Righteous Among the Nations, notes on
the movie "Schindler's List," report on research activities, and notes on the Roma and the Holocaust. This series is arranged
in alphabetical order.
document-box 2, folder 1
Argentina notes
2001
Language of Material: English.
document-box 2, folder 2
Criteria for admission to the Righteous Among the Nations
undated
Language of Material: English.
document-box 2, folder 3
Interview notes
undated
Language of Material: English.
document-box 2, folder 4
Krakow notes
1998
Language of Material: English.
document-box 2, folder 5
Notes of the Roma and the Holocaust
undated
Language of Material: English.
document-box 2, folder 6
Notebook
1998
Language of Material: English.
document-box 2, folder 7
Notebook
1999
Language of Material: English.
document-box 2, folder 8
Notebook
2000
Language of Material: English.
document-box 2, folder 9
Report on research activities
2001
Language of Material: English.
document-box 2, folder 10
"Schindler's List" notes
undated
Language of Material: English.
