the world of private banking
the world of private banking
the world of private banking
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40<br />
THE WORLD OF PRIVAtE BANKING<br />
those retained by <strong>the</strong> Nazi-appointed administrator, has been described in <strong>the</strong> final<br />
report <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Austrian Historical Commission. <br />
The Archive’s website has enabled <strong>the</strong> work that was described earlier in this<br />
paper as ‘in progress’ to be disseminated to <strong>the</strong> widest possible range <strong>of</strong> users. The<br />
impact on <strong>the</strong> project to transcribe and translate <strong>the</strong> Judendeutsch letters has been<br />
<strong>the</strong> most pr<strong>of</strong>ound, allowing <strong>the</strong> publication <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> documents as digitized images,<br />
German transcripts and English translations and, perhaps more importantly,<br />
permitting interaction with users so that <strong>the</strong> most comprehensive analysis <strong>of</strong> each<br />
letter might be achieved. The Archive’s focus has always been on <strong>the</strong> content <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> letters, ra<strong>the</strong>r than <strong>the</strong> style in which <strong>the</strong>y are written, but recently <strong>the</strong> archivists<br />
have begun to explore possible research opportunities in partnership with academic<br />
institutions that will focus on <strong>the</strong> linguistic importance <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> collection.<br />
There is already a model for a partnership <strong>of</strong> this kind: Jewish Community and<br />
Social Development in Europe 1800–1940: <strong>the</strong> case <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Rothschilds was initiated<br />
in 2004 with a generous research award, and has since developed with <strong>the</strong> assistance<br />
<strong>of</strong> two fur<strong>the</strong>r grants so that <strong>the</strong> project, hosted at <strong>the</strong> Archive and overseen by an<br />
Academic Advisory Committee, consists <strong>of</strong> a director, a project co-ordinator and a<br />
team <strong>of</strong> researchers working in archives across Europe and in Israel. 10<br />
The Rothschild Research Forum, 11 a password-protected area within <strong>the</strong><br />
Archive’s website, is <strong>the</strong> result <strong>of</strong> ano<strong>the</strong>r partnership, this time with curatorial<br />
colleagues from Waddesdon Manor, a former Rothschild home now owned by <strong>the</strong><br />
National Trust. The aim <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Forum, launched in 2003, is to promote <strong>the</strong> existence<br />
<strong>of</strong> Rothschild collections and sources, and to enable remote users to gain access<br />
to <strong>the</strong> collections in advance, or instead, <strong>of</strong> a personal visit. In 2005 <strong>the</strong> archivists<br />
published on <strong>the</strong> site a guide to sources relating to <strong>the</strong> history <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Credit Anstalt,<br />
material for which <strong>the</strong>re has always been a great demand from researchers, <strong>the</strong><br />
first <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> finding aids that have been prepared for material beyond <strong>the</strong> Archive’s<br />
original closure date <strong>of</strong> 1918.<br />
News <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Forum appeared in The Rothschild Archive’s Review <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Year<br />
2002–2003, ano<strong>the</strong>r manifestation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Trust’s commitment to promoting <strong>the</strong><br />
collections to <strong>the</strong> widest possible audience. The Review, published annually<br />
since 2000, contains a report <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Archive’s activities and major acquisitions<br />
as well as featuring articles by researchers based on <strong>the</strong>ir use <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Archive’s<br />
resources. Copies are placed prominently in <strong>the</strong> public spaces <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> business,<br />
which continues to house <strong>the</strong> Archive, providing a welcome link with <strong>the</strong> creators<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> archives <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> future.<br />
<strong>the</strong> Records <strong>of</strong> de Rothschild Frères’, in The Rothschild Archive’s Review <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Year 2004–<br />
2005 (2005).<br />
<br />
http://www historikerkommission.gv.at/<br />
10<br />
http://www rothschildarchive.org/ib/?doc=/ib/articles/project1. Hanadiv, <strong>the</strong> Fritz-<br />
Thyssen-Stiftung (Cologne) and <strong>the</strong> Arts and Humanities Research Council have supported<br />
<strong>the</strong> project at various stages.<br />
11<br />
http://www.rothschildarchive.org/ta/