Warsaw ghetto database

The Warsaw Ghetto site is a collection of facts from the history of the ghetto. The  facts are stored in a form of an Internet database. It was designed in the way that enables its users to easily find related information on specific subjects: people, events and places from the Warsaw ghetto. Moreover an  interactive plan of the ghetto enables users to view the places. Depending on stored information on addresses individual buildings may be displayed on the plan. In addition, users of the site take access to source materials.

How to use  the following elements of the site:

Calendar of events
The goal of presenting the calendar of events is to tell in a synthetic way  the history of the Warsaw Ghetto seen in a perspective of war and occupation. Both – war and occupation were the context of the Ghetto history and significantly influenced moods, attitudes and actions in the closed Jewish quarter.

The calendar of events is presented in a form of a chronological list.

Choosing “Search in the database” from the upper menu will result in shifting to a page containing a searching form. The form contains three kinds of fields: people, place, event. Filling out at least one  of the fields with a name of a person, place or event and clicking the button “search” will result in displaying results of searching. Results are displayed in a form of tables created in predefined   columns arrangement. Data displayed in the tables is shortened; its broadening is possible by clicking an appropriate reference mark.

Tabular breakdown of results  may contain so called “jointed records”. These records are displayed against a blue background. Only so-called “main record” is visible in the table. Viewing information from all related records is possible after displaying details of the “main record”. The aim of joining the records is to integrate all information on a specific person, place or event in order to avoid multiple searching  the database.

Element “Search in the database” makes possible to use an advanced searching interface. The interface  specifies parameters of searching and sorting of results. Like in the case of simplified searching information displayed here is shortened; its broadening is possible by clicking an appropriate reference mark.

Places
Clicking  “places” in the left illustrated menu will result in shifting to the main page of the interface which enables users to search for information on specific people, streets, building. An alphabetical three-columned  list of selected street is presented on the page. Names of the streets are reference marks to more detailed information. After indicating with a cursor and clicking a selected name of a street a list of objects located at this street will be displayed (if only such a list is available). Clicking the button “show” placed by the selected object, will result in displaying a new window containing detailed information on a given place.

Places which were not  within the borders of the ghetto will be provided with an appropriate information and will not be displayed on the ghetto map.

If a selected place have been related to events or people recorded in the ghetto database  it will be indicated by displaying a reference mark placed in a box, for example “go to event”.

Closing a newly opened window is possible by clicking a reference mark  “close window”

People
Clicking  “people” in the left illustrated menu will result in shifting to the main page of the interface which enables users to search for information on specific people – inhabitants of the ghetto. An alphabetical three-columned  list of selected people is presented on the page. Names of the people are reference marks to more detailed information. After indicating with a cursor and clicking a selected name of a person a list of people with identical or similar names will be displayed (if only such a list is available; sometimes it is a single-element set – one selected name). Clicking the button “show” placed by the selected object, will result in displaying a new window containing detailed information on a given person.

If a selected person have been related to events or people recorded in the ghetto database  it will be indicated by displaying a reference mark placed in a box, for  example “move to event”.

Closing a newly opened window is possible by clicking a reference mark  “the window”

Events
Clicking  “events” in the left illustrated menu will result in shifting to the main page of the interface which enables users to search for information on events from the period of the World War II and, in a limited range,  from months before and after it.

A graphic interface in a form of a calendar is displayed on the page. The calendar’s lines show months, its columns represent years. Clicking a crossing of a line and a column will result in displaying an event which took place in a given month and year. The calendar contains events from January 1939 to December 1944. Buttons “earlier”, “later” are designed to display data from earlier or later periods.
After selecting a given month a list of events which took place at that time will be shown. There is a simplified interface of selecting other months  over the list.

If a selected event have been related to places or people recorded in the ghetto database  it will be indicated by displaying a reference mark placed in a box, for  example “go to  person”

Closing a newly opened window is possible by clicking a reference mark  “close window”

Sources
Choosing “sources”  from the left menu will result in shifting to a page on which detailed information on source materials is available. Sources materials are divided into categories. After selecting one category of sources a list of source materials belonging to this category and names of their authors will be displayed. Elements of the list are reference marks to detailed information. New window with details on a given source and a (optional) commentary will be open after clicking a  reference mark.

Map of the ghetto
After choosing from the menu “plan of the ghetto” a map of the ghetto will be displayed

The map is divided into sectors. Four  sectors are displayed at once. Enlargement of a selected sector and its topographical details is possible by clicking a given sector. Arrows placed around displayed fragments make possible to  move on the map in various directions.

On the right a miniature of the ghetto map is constantly displayed. The red point on this miniature marks the sector which is just showed in enlargement. After clicking a given point on the miniature a given sector will be displayed.”

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