The Fortunoff Archive currently holds more than 4,400 testimonies, containing over 10,000 recorded hours of videotape. The Fortunoff Archive and its affiliates recorded the testimonies of willing individuals with first-hand experience of the Nazi persecutions, including those in hiding, survivors, bystanders, resistants, and liberators. Testimonies are recorded in whatever language the witness prefers, and range in length from a half hour to over 40 hours (recorded over several sessions). NOTE: First-time users will need to create a login on Yale's Aviary platform before viewing testimonies. See login information under "more..."
1. Go to the Aviary platform
page. Click on 'Log In,' and then 'Join Now.'
2. After submitting the form, you will receive a confirmation email. This is to verify you are indeed a human and not a bot. Check your spam if it doesn’t show up in your inbox.
3. Return to the Aviary platform
page. Login if necessary, and then enter a search term, such as a town name, a concentration camp, or a ghetto in the search bar at the top of the page. You can also click in the search box and press Enter to retrieve all records.
4. Click on a testimony in the search results and request access. You only need to request access to one testimony to obtain viewing rights for the entire collection. You should receive an approval email a few minutes after you make your request.
5. Once you get the approval email, refresh your browser to view testimonies.