(the latter in the original language and in translation); and a brief abstract.
In cases where it is known who among the Oyneg Shabes associates recorded
a testimony, his or her name is mentioned, and basic biographical data are
put in footnotes where they appear for the first time.
Below the text of each document is a file number according to both new
(2009, see below) and the old (1955) catalogues, as well as the technical description of the document. The description includes information on whether a document is an original or a duplicate; number of duplicates and number of
their copies; whether the document is handwritten (including the tool and/or
technique), typewritten, or printed. Information on handwritten inserts and
stamps in printed or typed documents, or typed inserts in the printed documents
is also included. In the case of a recognised handwriting, the writer
or copyist’s initials are given (see their list in Acronyms and Abbreviations).
There is information on language(s) of the document, dimensions, number of
sheets, and number of pages of the whole archival unit; information of annotations
and text damages, and other data, depending on a case. Post-war notes
attached by Hersh Wasser or other persons are also quoted. Technical descriptions may also refer to documents bearing old file numbers, which comprise
one new archival unit. In cases where a document consists of several copies,
there is indication which copy served the basis for publication. These descriptions
are based on those in the catalogue of the collection, by Robert Moses
Shapiro and Tadeusz Epsztein, The Warsaw Ghetto Oyneg Shabes-Ringelblum
Archive, published in 2009, sometimes with additions and corrections of dates,
names, authorship, etc. resulting from re-examination of documents during
the process of editing.
Editors of the English edition have updated footnotes and references.
References to documents in this volume do not have any additional information,
just Doc. 1, 2, 3 etc., sometimes with specific page number of the original in
square brackets. References to documents from the Ringelblum Archive which
have been translated and published in this series (including in forthcoming
volumes), cite the volume’s title and the document number. References to documents from the Archive which have not yet been included in this series cite the file number, according to the catalogue mentioned above. Also, the Bibliography has been extended and new publications on the subject have been included. Therefore, this volume provides the English-language reader with an enlarged editorial apparatus, taking into consideration current research in the field.
