The International Tracing Service (ITS, currently operating under the name Arolsen Archives – International Center on Nazi Persecution) is the international center on Nazi persecution with the world’s most comprehensive archive on the victims and survivors of National Socialism. The collection has information on about 17.5 million people and belongs to UNESCO’s Memory of the World. It contains documents on the various victim groups targeted by the Nazi regime and is an important source of knowledge for society today.
Since May 2019, the ITS has been operating under the new name Arolsen Archives – International Center on Nazi Persecution. The institution itself has not changed and it continues to do the same work, as it did in the past. International Tracing Service is preserved as a legal name because the international agreements with the member states use this name.
The International Tracing Service (ITS) was established by the Allies at Bad Arolsen in Germany following the end of the Second World War for the purpose of tracing missing persons who had suffered persecution by the Nazis. The ITS was also given the task of collecting, classifying, preserving and rendering accessible to governments and interested individuals, including survivors and/or the families of Nazi victims, the documents relating to persons persecuted by the National Socialists in concentration camps and other sites of internment and persecution or as forced labourers who were displaced as a result of the war. The Archives today hold over 30 million documents pertaining to 17.5 million persons.
The Arolsen Archives come under the authority of the International Commission for the International Tracing Service (IC-ITS) which is comprised of eleven states: Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, United Kingdom and United States of America. Between 1955 and 2012 the International Commission managed the ITS through the good offices of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva, which then also provided the Director. The government of the Federal Republic of Germany has funded the work of the ITS since 1955.
In 2007 the International Commission decided to open up the archives for public research. While continuing the preservation and tracing work of the ITS, the intention was to facilitate an expansion of its activities to include the development of the Archives into a center for documentation, information and research, which will ensure that the fates of those who fell victim to National Socialism and of the survivors continue to be studied for the enlightenment of future generations.
The new mission of the Arolsen Archives is expressed in the following terms
To preserve, conserve and open up the ITS archives to public access; to modernise and make more effective its services to Nazi victims and Holocaust survivors and those who seek to trace the fate of family members persecuted by the Nazis and their allies; and to integrate the ITS into the European and international network of research and educational institutions focused on Nazi persecution, the Holocaust, forced labour and displaced persons.
The Director is recruited and appointed directly by the International Commission.
The Director, who also serves as the Secretary of the International Commission, is responsible for directing and administering the ITS and for implementing the policy decisions taken by the International Commission. Moreover:
General Profile
The successful candidate must be an experienced manager in cultural and cultural heritage institutions, with a proven track record in overseeing change management within large teams, both domestically and internationally, and possessing strong financial acumen and a good knowledge of contemporary history. He/she needs to have the ability to continue and strengthen Arolsen’s strategic modernization path of full digitization of the archive and public outreach.
Skills and competences
The eligible candidate should have:
Education
The suitable candidate for the position should hold a Master's degree or a PhD preferably in social sciences, history, international relations, archival science, communication, management, or a related field.
Other attributes
Terms of Appointment
The article 20 of the 2011 Berlin Agreement on International Tracing Service and German Labour Law specifies the conditions of the contract of the Director of the International Tracing Service (Arolsen Archives).
More specifically:
The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany reserves the right to negotiate further conditions of the contract with the successful candidate.
Equal Opportunities
We promote equal professional opportunities for men and women. If suitability, capability and professional performance are equivalent, women will be given consideration as provided for in the German law on equality; persons with serious disabilities will be considered as provided for in Statute Book IX of the German social law.
Applicants are invited to complete the attached Candidate Application Form, to be submitted by 10 January 2025 electronically in English, together with:
Short-listing of candidates will occur in January 2025. Short-listed candidates are expected to be able to visit the Arolsen Archives in Bad Arolsen in late February or early March 2025. Final selection interviews will be held in late March 2025. An appointment is expected to be announced by the end of March 2025. Evidence of good conduct will be required by the successful candidate.
The email address for applications and inquiries is: [email protected].
Data protection notice: By submitting your application, you agree to your personal data being collected and stored for the purposes of the application process and, if applicable, the recruitment process. We treat this data with the utmost care in accordance with the legal provisions on data protection.
Please be sure to indicate you saw this position on Globaljobs.org
