History

The library is trialling this resource until 20th January 2025.

This collection comprises over 3,700 images, drawn from 46 files in the FO 939 series at The National Archives (UK). The collection explores the policy of re-education from a number of angles. It surveys the high-level government decisions that instigated and framed this innovative process. The documents likewise offer examples of the official guidance and instructions that were sent to camp authorities. You will also find descriptions of the course materials used, reflections of lecturers and educators involved in the process, and the views of the German POWs themselves. The collection offers fascinating insights into British perspectives on extreme ideologies, as well as into concepts of political control and indoctrination, including strategies on how to reverse them. Building a New Germany explores a key transitional period when the British tried to reshape Germany from foe to friend.