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Book Project Nears Fund-Raising Target

Thanks to the generosity of Weidner Foundation board members, foundations,  Advisory Committee members, and friends, as well as the frugality of author Megan Koreman, Ph.D., the Dutch-Paris Book Project is within $23,126 of reaching its original goal of $375,000.

“A number of factors have made this progress possible,” says Kurt Ganter, chair of the Weidner Archives Committee. “First, archival expenses at a number of European archives were less than budgeted. Dr. Koreman had expected to find that archives were continuing to utilize highly bureaucratic methods to control access to sensitive documents.  In fact, she found many archival directors to be open, helpful and participative. Second, Dr. Koreman has exercised considerable frugality in managing the European research funds.  Finally, a number of board members have made sizeable donations to this project to push the project toward its completion.”

If you would like to make a gift to help complete this project, please send your donation to the Weidner Foundation Treasurer:

                                Stephen F. Morgan,CPA
                                Harborplace Tower
                                111 South Calvert St., Suite 2700
                                Baltimore, MD 21202

“This book covers new territory in World War II studies”, says Ganter.  “It will provide the first in-depth, carefully researched and documented account of how this highly productive and effective escape line operated.  In fact, it will be the first ever examination of how a WW II escape line worked. It will rely on detailed personal records kept by John Weidner as to the line’s participants, those rescued, its relationship to other escape lines, how it survived an SS “round-up” in 1944 when half of the line’s particpants were arrested or executed, and how Weidner helped the Dutch government identify Nazi collaborators after the war. Information in Weidner’s personal files will be supplemented with Dr. Koreman’s findings in newly unclassified records at the Dutch, French and Belgian archives.  Dr. Koreman’s European research has been supported by the Netherlands Institute of War Documentation (NIOD) in Amsterdam and with the encouragement of Dr. Sierk Plantinga at the Dutch Archives at The Hague”.

Although the Balans Publishing Company in Holland has expressed an interest in publishing ORDINARY HEROS: THE DUTCH-PARIS LINE, a final decision regarding a publisher is months away.