This document provides guidance and suggestions for researching the Weimar Republic and Hitler's rise to power through the University of Miami Libraries resources. It begins by listing style guides and interlibrary loan information. It then discusses performing keyword and subject searches in the library catalog and databases like Historical Abstracts, JSTOR, and Project Muse to locate relevant books and articles. Finally, it lists several digital collections and archives that contain primary sources from this era, such as propaganda posters, government documents, photographs, and newspapers.

1. HIS 544:Weimar Republic and Hitler’s
Rise to Power – Library Research (9/7/07)
Chella Vaidyanathan
History, Political Science, U.S. Govt. and International Documents Librarian
University of Miami Libraries, Coral Gables, FL

2. Basics
• Style manuals and citation tools are
available at
http://www.library.miami.edu/research/use
rguides/stylemanuals.html
• To set up the interlibrary loan account, go
to
http://www.library.miami.edu/services/inte
rlibrary/interlibrary_loan.html
• Begin your search with IBISWEB, the
library catalog

3. Keyword Searches
• Keyword searches are the best way to get started
with you research. Some examples are
Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic and Art
Hitler and National Socialism
• Choose an item/book that falls within your topic
area
• Then, click on the record and look at the subject
terms assigned to the book
• Select the subject term related to your topic to see
more related resources for your research

4. Sample Subject Term Searches
• Some sample subject term searches are:
Germany -- History -- 1918-1933
Germany -- Foreign Relations -- 1918-1933
National Socialism
National Socialism – History
National Socialism – Periodicals
Germany -- Politics and Government -- 1918-1933
Germany -- Politics and Government -- 1918-1933
Germany -- Politics and Government -- 1918-1933 --
Bibliography
Germany – Economic Conditions – 1918-1945
Germany – Social Conditions – 1918-1933

5. Databases
• Databases can be searched by using keywords
that pertain to your topic of research
• They can also be searched using “subject” terms
• Some databases to begin your research:
Historical Abstracts (1450-present)
JSTOR
Project Muse Scholarly Journals Online (1995-present)
New York Times: Historical Newspapers Online (1851-
2000)
The Times Digital Archive (1785-1985)

6. Digital Resources/Collections
• There are several digital resources / collections
that are available for free. Some of them are:
Pre-1933 Nazi Propaganda: German Propaganda Archive
(Calvin College) –
http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/pre1933.htm
German History in Documents and Images –
http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/index.cfm
Germany: World War I and Weimar Republic (Euro Docs:
Brigham Young University) –
http://eudocs.lib.byu.edu/index.php/Germany:_World_W
ar_I_and_Weimar_Republic

7. Digital Resources/Collections
(continued)
Foreign Relations of the United States (University of
Wisconsin Digital Collections) –
http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/FRUS/
Volumes 1861-1958/1960 –
http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/FRUS/Browse.html
To begin search, click on
http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/FRUS/FRUS-
idx?type=browse&scope=FRUS.FRUS1
Then, scroll down and choose the volume that you would
like to search.

8. Digital Resources/Collections
(continued)
Das Bundesarchiv: The Digital Picture Archives of the Federal
Archives – http://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/
(Here you can view some images/photos of the Weimar
Republic and other historical periods)
Picture Database: Topic Search –
http://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/topicsearch.php
A Summons to Comradeship: World War I and II Posters &
Postcards (University of Minnesota Libraries) –
http://digital.lib.umn.edu/warposters/warpost.html
To search the collection for posters related to the Weimar
period, click on “search the collection.” Then, choose
“Interwar Period (1918-1939) and conduct keyword search
by “Germany.” You can also search by specific “series” or
“subjects.”