Bad Arolsen is a small town north of Kassel, in the state of Hesse, Central Germany. Founded in 1131 as a monastic settlement, it served as a military camp city during World War I and later became a Nazi stronghold with training schools for the SS. Today, this town of nearly 16,000 residents, which remained relatively untouched during World War II, is home to the world’s largest archive of documents related to victims of Nazi persecution.

The Arolsen Archives are dedicated to uncovering the fate of those who disappeared under the Nazi regime. With records on around 17.5 million people, they include documents relating to the many victim groups persecuted by the Nazis. The Archives receive roughly 20,000 inquiries annually from those seeking information about relatives persecuted during the Nazi era. They are recognized as part of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.

Foto: Johanna Groß

Returning What Was Stolen

Among the vast collection of documents, the Archives also hold around 4,000 personal belongings of individuals imprisoned in Nazi forced labor camps. Since the launch of the #StolenMemory campaign in November 2016, more than 1,000 of these personal items have been returned to the families of former concentration camp prisoners.

“Our professional search team is supported by a network of volunteers from more than 10 countries,” explains Charlotte Meiwes, head of the program, in an interview with TA NEA. “Thanks to their knowledge and ability to conduct research on the ground, they are essential in locating the families today. Sometimes, appeals through television or social media also help.”

The biggest challenge is tracking down the families — something clearly evident in the case of eight Greek victims whose personal belongings are held in the Arolsen Archives.

So far, only one search has been successful.

A Granddaughter Reunited with Her Grandfather’s Watch

That one case involved Vasilios Kontogeorgiou. His wristwatch, preserved in the Archives, was returned to his family in June 2024. In a special ceremony at the Greek Embassy in Berlin, the watch was handed over to his granddaughter, Angeliki Kontogeorgiou.

“I’m incredibly moved and very happy that my grandfather is being remembered again, even though he passed away nearly 30 years ago,” Angeliki said during the handover, which was conducted by Panagiota Konstantinopoulou, chargé d’affaires at the Embassy of Greece in Berlin. “What’s happening now is connecting me with a part of my family history I never experienced, and I’m deeply grateful for the work of the Arolsen Archives.”

The Search

The journey began with a phone call Angeliki’s father received from Vasso Panagou in Larissa, whose own grandfather had been imprisoned at the same concentration camp as Kontogeorgiou — Neuengamme. A key figure in locating the family was Michalis Lymberopoulos from Hamburg, who has conducted extensive research on Greek prisoners in Nazi camps, and especially at Neuengamme.

With his help, Angeliki began searching the Arolsen Archives’ online portal. “I found his records – his name was spelled completely differently using the Latin alphabet. I saw his entry cards, and then I saw his watch,” says 39-year-old Angeliki, who has lived in Berlin for the past ten years. The search came to an emotional conclusion with the recovery of her grandfather’s watch.

Georgios Polydorakis, Director of the Service of Diplomatic and Historical Archives of Greece’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attended the ceremony at the Embassy. He noted the remarkable timing of the event — it coincided with Greece assuming the rotating presidency of the International Commission of the Arolsen Archives, just the day before.