Mazal Holocaust Collection

The Mazal Holocaust Collection is the largest privately owned Holocaust-related archive in the world.{{cite web|title=The Mazal Holocaust Collection|url=http://www.colorado.edu/jewishstudies/archives/post-holocaust-american-judaism-archive/mazal-holocaust-collection|website=University of Colorado Boulder|accessdate=June 22, 2016}} It comprises 500,000 items, including 20,000 books.{{cite news|last1=Heilman|first1=Uri|title=After intrigue, theft and deterioration, Holocaust collection secure at CU Boulder|url=http://www.jta.org/2015/03/09/news-opinion/united-states/after-intrigue-theft-and-deterioration-holocaust-collection-secure-at-cu-boulder|accessdate=June 22, 2016|work=Jewish Telegraphic Agency|date=March 9, 2015}} Some of its items include aerial photographs of the Auschwitz concentration camp and transcripts of the Nuremberg Trials. Additionally, it includes old copies of Der Stürmer, books of Holocaust denial, and material published by the American Nazi Party in the 1930s. As of March 2015, the full extent of the collection was unknown.

The collection was established by Harry W. Mazal, a businessman of Turkish-Jewish descent who was born in Mexico City, Mexico, and subsequently lived in San Antonio, Texas.{{cite news|last1=Ayala|first1=Elaine|title=Mazal created widely used library in S.A.|url=http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/He-created-widely-used-library-in-S-A-2136383.php|accessdate=June 22, 2016|work=San Antonio Express-News|date=August 23, 2011}} Mazal only found out he was Jewish as a teenager, and he began collecting documents related to the Holocaust then. His primary aim was to counter the discourse of Holocaust deniers.{{cite web|title=Holocaust Denial on Trial: Harry Mazal, The Holocaust History Project|url=http://www.hdot.org/en/learning/podcasts/mazal.html|website=Emory University|accessdate=June 22, 2016}} In 2011, Mazal discovered one of his employees was stealing and selling some of his collection; the thief was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2014.{{cite news|last1=Danner|first1=Patrick|title=Man gets eight years for stealing Holocaust documents|url=http://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Man-gets-eight-years-for-stealing-Holocaust-5568603.php#/0|accessdate=June 22, 2016|work=San Antonio Express-News|date=June 20, 2014}}

With the help of Professor David Shneer, it has been based at the University of Colorado Boulder since January 2014. Students act as volunteers to categorize and digitalize the collection.

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• [https://www.colorado.edu/post-holocaustamericanjudaismcollections/collections/harry-w-mazal-holocaust-collection Mazal Holocaust Collection] at the University of Colorado Boulder

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Category:University of Colorado Boulder

Category:Libraries in Colorado

Category:Jewish libraries

Category:Holocaust-related organizations

Category:Jewish archives

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