Unlike secondary sources, which comment on their topics, primary sources are actual documents from the time period, people, and events of the time under consideration. Primary sources can be any number of the following types of materials:
To search for primary sources, develop a keyword search such as the following--please note that "sources" is a good general search term for primary sources:
Searching with Subject vocabulary is very effective as well. You'll see subject headings when you click on a book's title and view the Subject links in the book's record; examples of subject headings relevant to the field of German Exile Studies include:
Content of this box courtesy of Sue Tyson
Websites of interest:
Learn more about current research on Lion and Marta Feuchtwanger on Adrian Feuchtwanger's blog: www.lionfeuchtwanger.de
A Link to Digitized Primary Source Projects in German and Global History
UCLA, Department of Special Collections
Ernst Toch Archive, Franz Werfel Archive
Deutsches Historisches Museum
Selection of books burned on May 10, 1933
Catalogue of the Archival Papers of the Deutsches Exilarchiv 1933-45
The catalogue contains the records of archival papers catalogued by the German Exile Archive 1933 - 1945 in the German National Library since 2005.
The German and Jewish Intellectual Émigré collection
The German and Jewish Intellectual Émigré Collection is comprised of over 95 collections (approximately 750 cubic feet) of personal papers, organizational records, tape recordings, photographs, and related research materials documenting the German intellectual exodus of the 1930s and 1940s.
An Émigré Life - Munich, Berlin, Sanary, Los Angeles
Oral History of Marta Feuchtwanger, available in the Internet Archive
Deutsches Literaturarchiv Marbach (in German)
Das Deutsche Literaturarchiv Marbach (DLA) ist eine der bedeutendsten Literaturinstitutionen weltweit. In seinen Sammlungen vereinigt und bewahrt es eine Fülle kostbarster Quellen der Literatur- und Geistesgeschichte. Es dient der Literatur, der Bildung und der Forschung. Erkenntnis aus originalen Quellen zu fördern und Freude an der Literatur zu wecken, sind seine Ziele. Regional bildet es einen Mittelpunkt des literarischen Lebens für seine nähere und weitere Umgebung. National ist es das wichtigste Zentrum zur Sammlung und Erschließung der deutschen Literatur seit der Aufklärungszeit.
Leo Baeck Institute
The Leo Baeck Institute is devoted to studying the history of German-speaking Jewry from its origins to its tragic destruction by the Nazis and to preserving its culture. In the Leo Baeck Institute Archives, individuals, families, and organizations have deposited their documents. Family papers, community histories, and business and public records date back centuries and touch upon virtually every phase of German-Jewish life. Detailed descriptions of all materials are available in the online catalog.
Online Archive of California
The Online Archive of California (OAC) provides free public access to detailed descriptions of primary resource collections maintained by more than 150 contributing institutions including libraries, special collections, archives, historical societies, and museums throughout California and collections maintained by the 10 University of California (UC) campuses.
Additional Resources
Monika Mann Papers at the Monacensia, Munich
The Varian Fry Foundation Project
Walter-A-Berendsohn-Forschungsstelle-für-deutsche-Exilliteratur