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Anonymous Girl's Diary, Saarland, Germany

 Collection
Identifier: MS 274
Finding aid note: Stored onsite at the Woodson Research Center.

Scope and Contents

The manuscript diary is by a young German girl from the Saarland area of Germany. The author appears to be from a rich, Catholic family. The bulk of the diary pertains to the girl’s personal life and daily activities; however, comments about conditions in Germany during the war are also found in the work.

The diary is written in German. It was found in Saarburg by the donor, who arrived to the German town during World War II with occupation troops. According to donor’s letter, the town was deserted at the time of the diary’s discovery.

Dates

  • 1939 - 1941

Creator

Restrictions on Access

This material is open for research.

Conditions Governing Access

Stored onsite at the Woodson Research Center.

Restrictions on Use

Permission to publish from the Anonymous Girl's Diary, Saarland, Germany, 1939-1941, must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice University.

Biographical Sketch

No biographical information about the diary’s author is available. The diary was found in Saarburg by the donor, who arrived to the German town during World War II with occupation troops. According to donor’s letter, the town was deserted at the time of the diary’s discovery.

Saarburg is a small town of the Trier-Saarburg district in the Rhineland-Palatinate state of Germany, on the banks of the Saar River in the hilly country a few kilometers upstream from the Saar's junction with the Moselle. This area is part of a fascinating landscape replete with significant historical places in Germany. The area borders (from the north and clockwise) North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Baden-Württemberg, France, Saarland, Luxembourg and Belgium.

The history of the city begins with the construction of the now-ruined castle by Graf Siegfried of Luxembourg in 964. It received its town charter in 1291. The city has a bell foundry, the Glockengießerei Mabilion, which has been in operation since the 1770s, and as of 2003 the only one in Germany that makes bronze bells. The area around Saarburg is noted for the cultivation of Riesling grapes.

Information about the Saarburg and its region compiled from several entries found in www.wikipedia.com.

Extent

0.25 Linear Feet (1 volume)

Language of Materials

German

Additional Description

Abstract:

The manuscript diary is by a young German girl from the Saarland area of Germany, possibly from a rich, Catholic family. The bulk of the diary pertains to the girl’s personal life and daily activities; however, comments about conditions in Germany during the war are also found in the work.

Acquisition Information

This item was a gift donated by Prof. Jean-Claude DeBremaeker, January, 1979.

General Note

Portions of this collection are available online at: https://scholarship.rice.edu/handle/1911/27444

Subjects

Record Groups

Related Names

Creator

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Guide to Anonymous Girl's Diary, Saarland, Germany, 1939-1941
Status
Completed
Author
Anthony Potoczniak
Date
2005
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Woodson Research Center, Rice University, Houston, Texas Repository

https://library.rice.edu/woodson
Contact:
Fondren Library MS-44, Rice University
6100 Main St.
Houston Texas 77005 USA

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Harmful Content Statement
© 2023 Woodson Research Center
Fondren Library, Rice University
Physical Address: 6100 Main, Houston, Texas 77005-1827
Mailing Address: MS-44, P.O. Box 1892, Houston, Texas 77251-1892