Register of Names

In the early 1990s, the memorial began to systematically collect name-related sources, such as transport lists, death certificates and prisoners' liberation lists, and to record the information they contained in a database. Through intensive research, it was possible to record data on more than 53,000 people in the index of names of the prisoners of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. The Memorial received a great deal of encouragement from the survivors, who themselves played a significant role in completing the index of names through their support. Equally important is the good co-operation with memorial sites and other institutions around the world.

With the help of the index of names, it is possible to obtain detailed information on individual persons, groups of prisoners, camp sections or transports. Reliable figures on the age structure or mortality rate among the prisoners could not be provided without this instrument. The collection and recording of prisoner data in the index of names is therefore basic research into the history of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. It is also a prerequisite for answering the many enquiries from former prisoners or relatives of victims who require information on individual fates.

The total number of prisoners in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp is estimated at around 120,000. The work of collecting and recording name-related sources will be continued in the future. A comparable database on the prisoners of war in the Bergen-Belsen POW camp does not yet exist.