Michael Fraser

Michael Fraser

Click here for Michael's interviewee, Helga Clark's page, and a link to the audio file of the full interview.

---

Reflection

The process of compiling Helga's oral history revealed much in regard to the difficulties and nuances that oral historians must tackle. What struck me most throughout my meetings with Helga was how her story fit in with the larger narrative of world history. The evacuation of her father during Operation Hannibal, her husband's capture at Tunis, the bombing of Hannover,or the splitting of Germany all of these were events which I had knowledge of prior, but hearing what role they played in the context of an individual's life experience adds a personal element absent in most secondary sources. This is what historian Alessandro Portelli is referring to when he argues, "the first thing that makes oral history different, therefore, is that it tells us less about events as such than about their meaning".^[1] While most other historical methods may acknowledge the significance of these events in a larger historical context, they often fail to elaborate on what their significance was to the individual.

From the outset, I had several concerns regarding the nature of the topics I hoped to focus on. Germany in the mid-20th century was a nation plagued by tribalism, political tyranny, and violence. A common trap many historians fall into when reciting an individual's story is to paint these exceptional events as the defining moments of an individual's life. Anna Sheftel, an oral historian, argues that the issue with interviewing survivors of violence is finding a balance, where the interviewee's life is portrayed in a proper context, without diminishing the significance of any violence they may have experienced.^[2] In the case of Helga, it is difficult to argue that the Second World War, and the events immediately surrounding it, did not play a central role in deciding the course of her life. It affected every aspect of her life, her dwellings, personal relationships, and education were all decided by the course of the war. However, I got the sense that Helga's life was led despite the war, rather than being defined by it. While the conflict may have decided what circumstances her family would have to live with, day to day life was not nearly as consumed by it. Helga still went to school, interacted with friends and her family despite the fact that the world seemed to be falling apart around her. On top of this, it must also be considered that the period of time I chose to focus on does not represent the majority of Helga's life experience, her being only 9 years old at the start of the war, and 15 at its end. If I were to have conducted this interview 10 years after it had occurred, the events which I focused on may have defined her biography much more than it originally did.

One aspect of this process which I had difficulty with was deciding which questions would be appropriate and which were not, as well as the best way to articulate them in a way which would not trigger offense. In his article, What Happens when an Interview is Filmed? Recording Memories from Conflict, Cahal McLaughlin argues that oral history is made difficult by the tremendous level of trust required between interviewer and interviewee.^[3] I found myself hesitating several times during our first meeting, debating on whether I was being too aggressive with my line of questioning. However, Helga reassured me that I was free to ask whatever I needed to conduct the interview, giving me a sense of trust as well as making the process more comfortable and the interview more effective at getting her story across. 

Another take away I had from this interview was the way in which new details from events I thought myself familiar with arose. Having access to a person with firsthand experience of a historical event like WWII revealed details that I otherwise would not have considered, or even have been able to find easily using secondary sources; specifically, the process of evacuation and what affects this had on a family. This aspect of oral history, where new details otherwise not considered, has been coined as "unexpected revelations".^[4] 

The process of putting together an oral history in an online exhibit was a beneficial, albeit tedious, experience. Being able to have the audio files, primary sources, and biography in the same location is something which can easily be taken for granted. Having the audio file directly attached to the rest of the project makes the source of the project far more accessible than it would have if I were attempting this two decades prior. It seemed like the easy access to the primary source almost made the transcripts obsolete. Indeed, the use of transcripts as the primary source for oral history does seem to be in decline.^[5] During the process of transcription, I found that I was able to create a far better understanding of Helga's story, and this was for several reasons. First was the fact that there are issues in the audio file itself, which had excessive background noise, as well as the German accent of Helga. On writing the transcript, I uncovered details that I had missed in my first biography drafts; specifics like whose papers were lost at the border, and the relations of individuals. These details would have been missed, and the interviewee's story mischaracterized in the absence of a transcript. This helped me understand that transcripts are as important to the accuracy of the history as they are to its accessibility.

---

 Endnotes

[5] Shopes, Linda. “Transcribing Oral History in the Digital Age,” in Oral History in the Digital Age, edited by Doug Boyd, Steve Cohen, Brad Rakerd, and Dean Rehberger. Washington, D.C.: Institute of Museum and Library Services, 2012. http://ohda.matrix.msu.edu/2012/06/transcribing-oral-history-in-the-digital-age.