M.18 - Documentation of the Central Location Index (CLI) of the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) in New York

Scope and content

The Central Location Index (CLI) was established by various relief organizations in May 1944. The goal of the CLI was to concentrate data regarding refugees and those missing. After the organization (CLI administration) disbanded in May 1949, the documentation was stored in the cellars of the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) in New York; in 1957 the documentation was transferred to Yad Vashem. Yad Vasehm shared the index card with the Arolsen Archives in 2021.

In the collection there are documents, lists and index cards.

There are two main sections to the collection: Index Cards and Boxes of Documents.

1. Index Cards: There are approximately 1,200,000 index cards, not in alphabetical order. Most of the cards are in good physical condition;

2. Boxes of documents: There are approximately 210 boxes of documents clearly divided into two kinds of material:
A. The lists are located in 83 boxes including the names of those survivors for whom the organization has searched. The names appear on the index cards as well (in Part 1), because with every application for a search for a survivor, a card is opened, and on each card, there is a referral to the list in order to see if the name of the survivor appears there. Among the lists there are also lists of those who perished for whom cards were not opened.

B. Correspondence between different organizations in various countries (including the JDC offices around the world). The correspondence deals with administrational topics and subjects regarding the search for relatives. The documentation is arranged by country or date or organization.

Existence and location of originals

Yad Vashem Archives