In order to work well together and build mutual trust, we have agreed on seven ground rules. These rules apply to the forum, the platform and meetings.
1. Visibility – Name everyone who contributed to an activity, from the first idea through to copy-editing. If someone explicitly doesn’t want to be named, we will of course respect that.
2. Confidentiality – We treat personal stories, contact details and sensitive information as confidential. Anything you are told in confidence may only be shared or published with the express consent of the person concerned.
3. Openness to other perspectives – The history of Nazi forced labour includes different and sometimes contradictory memories and viewpoints. We meet them with respect and tolerance rather than judging them or playing them off against one another.
4. Courteous, respectful interaction – We treat one another with appreciation. We give criticism constructively; personal judgements and disparaging comments have no place here. Nazi forced labour can still be a sensitive subject in the places we study, and not everyone wants to be confronted with it. We respect that.
5. Care and source-based work – We clearly mark what is backed by sources and what is based on personal accounts or memories. Uncertainties and gaps are made transparent.
6. Respecting rights and privacy – Before we publish documents, photos or memories, we check whether we have the right to do so, especially where living people or copyrighted material are involved. If in doubt, sources are marked as protected and only descriptive information is made openly available.
7. Mutual support – No one has to be able to do everything alone. We help each other, share what we know and welcome questions, whether it’s your first time logging in to the platform or your tenth archive search. There are no stupid questions.
Questions about the ground rules? Post in Help & Technical Support