Helper of war criminals: Hudal archive completely digitised

One of the most important Roman archives for the period of the Third Reich and afterwards has now been fully digitised. As reported by the German-language editorial team of the online portal"Vatican News" (Monday), the work on the so-called Hudal Archive in Rome, which began in 2022, has now been completed. This means that the work of one of the most controversial clergymen of the 20th century can now be better researched.

Alois Hudal (1885-1963), who was born in Graz, was rector of the German-speaking priests' college Anima in Rome during the Second World War and in the years that followed. His archive consists of around 100 boxes of private and official correspondence spanning almost half a century.

Hudal is one of the most colourful Roman personalities from the era of the Third Reich and afterwards. With his book "The Foundations of National Socialism" (1937), he attempted to build an ideological bridge between the Catholic Church and National Socialism. During the Second World War, he hid Jews and Allied soldiers; he tried to prevent the deportation of more than a thousand Jews from Rome to the extermination camps. After the war, he helped Nazis and war criminals to escape.

Admission of guilt for Hudal's misdemeanours

The digitisation of the Hudal archive was agreed in writing in April 2022 by Zachary Levine from the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington and the current rector of Anima College, the Austrian priest Michael Max. During a trip to Washington last week, Max repeated his admission of guilt for the misdemeanours of his predecessor Hudal.

In an interview with "Vatican News", the rector emphasised that a relationship of friendship and trust had now been established between the Holocaust Memorial Museum and the German-speaking priests' college in Rome. Now it is important to make intensive use of the research opportunities opened up by digitisation. Another visit by a delegation from Washington to Rome is planned for October. (KNA)