Discussion Evening: "Family History Under National Socialism"

On Tuesday, November 3, 2026, the Erlangen City Archives will host an evening discussion focused on researching one’s own family’s history during the Nazi era. With the NSDAP membership records now available online on the U.S. National Archives website, the question of how one’s own family members related to National Socialism has come back into focus. This offers new possibilities, but also raises questions and uncertainties. Archives can serve as a point of contact and discussion partner for this endeavor; they offer expert advice and professional assistance.

This evening will provide an opportunity for discussion: How does one approach such research? How do I handle initial findings, and how do I make sense of them? Have you perhaps already researched your family history? What do the findings mean for the researcher on a personal level?

You can discuss these questions with City Archivist Dr. Andreas Jobst and Professor Dr. Christina Strunck, director of the Institute of Art History at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg. Professor Dr. Strunck recently published the book *Die Aufsteiger: The Rising Class. The German Middle Class Under Hitler: A Family History*. In it, she takes a particularly in-depth look at her family’s history during the years between 1933 and 1945. She will present the findings of her research and read excerpts from the book during this event. City Archivist Dr. Jobst will begin by providing a brief overview of the process of coming to terms with Nazi history.

Location and time: Tuesday , November 3, 2026, 6:00–7:30 p.m.
Reading Room of the Erlangen City Archives, Luitpoldstr. 47 (entrance on Bernhard-Plettner-Ring)

Admission is free.