Conditions Governing Use

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Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.

Preferred Citation

Ilse Adelman Diaries, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Purchased in 2011

Scope and Contents

Two diaries, January 1941-December 1942, kept by a German school girl. Both volumes are called "Kriegstagebuch" (War Diaries) and were most likely part of an regular school assignment or created under direction of the "Bund Deutscher Maedel" which was a constituent of the Hitler Youth.

For the most part the entries document events of war like battles, news from occupied territories and the occasional news of members of the National Socialist Party or of military personnel. The nature of the entries is exclusively official Nazi propaganda and there are no personal impressions or comments. The brief descriptions are accompanied by newspaper clippings or drawings, or in the case of Hitler's birthday 1942, a postcard.

All entries are in German and through March 1942 written in Suetterlin script.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Bund Deutscher Mädel
• Teenage girls--Diaries
• World War, 1939-1945--Germany