The Holocaust Collection

The College of the Holy Cross maintains a substantial collection of Holocaust materials. The origins of this collection date from 1979 when two new wings of Dinand Library were dedicated to the memory of Joshua and Leah Hiatt and all victims of the Holocaust. The collection is listed in the Directory of Holocaust Institutions published by the United States Holocaust Memorial Council.

The holdings, mostly in English, have as their focus the role of the Roman Catholic Church and the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in Holocaust Events. The Collection is rich in items which document the assistance given by Christians to Jewish victims of the Nazis, as well as the opposition to the Nazis shown by Christians during the Nazi years. The persecution of Christians by the Nazis is another special feature of the Holy Cross collection. One will find works in several languages which look to the relationships between Christians and Jews as they have reference to the Holocaust. Examples of this are the Israeli diplomat, Pinchas E. Lapide's, Three Popes and the Jews (1967) and Jean-Marie Cardinal Lustiger's, LeChoix de Dieu (1987).

Purpose By sponsoring the Frances and Jacob Hiatt Collection of Holocaust Materials, the College of the Holy Cross wishes to preserve in memory the six million Jews put to death under the Nazi regime. As an academic institute, Holy Cross strives to educate its community about centrality of the Holocaust in modern religious history and to foster and deepen a commitment to social justice. This alone may prevent a repetition of the genocide and violent destruction.

While not part of the Hiatt Collection itself, this collection contains archival materials documenting the Holocaust, World War II and their aftermath that may be of interest to Holocaust researchers. These materials were collected by Rev. Vincent A. Lapomarda, S.J.