Survivor accounts are extremely moving, and are in my opinion the strongest evidence of what happened. From all over the world, survivors from the same villages tell the exact same stories. Please, if you know a survivor whose story is not recorded, make sure it gets recorded. The following is the exact set of questions used in "Survivors: An Oral History of the Armenian Genocide" By Donald and Lorna Miller. It is an excellent book which everyone should read. Please videotape or tape record the interview and make a few copies. I am sure the Millers would be glad to have a copy to add to their archives, as would the Armenian Assembly, and Richard Hovanissian at UCLA, and Gerald E. Ottenbreit Jr. * Research Assistant * Armenian Research Center * University of Michigan-Dearborn * 4901 Evergreen Rd. * Dearborn, MI 48128-1491 * GOttenbr@umich.edu We must protect these stories as much as we can.

Even if you do not know a living survivor, please take the time to record/write down all the stories, names, dates, and locations you can remember. These too are valuable information.

Section I: City/Village Life

City/Town/Village Population: size, ethnic groups, ratio of Armenians to Turks/Kurds?

Occupational structure: What occupations were specific to Armenians/Turks/Kurds?

Physical Layout: types of buildings, location of marketplace? (What was available? Who did the shopping? Who sold what?) Neighborhood Specific name? Boundaries? Who lived where (ethnic, religious, class groups)?

Physical layout: types of buildings, transportation, vendors? Home Physical description: floor plan, number of rooms, function of each room, furnishings, yard, heating, lighting, water supply, animals, pets?

What furnishings do you remember in each room? Family For each family member (e.g., great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, siblings), what was his or her name, age, sex, relationship to you, occupation, educational level?

Who lived in your house? Did non-family members live with you?

Who made family decisions? What was the division of responsibilities in your family?

Where did your relatives live, and how often and in what contexts did you see them?

What was the relationship between your family and other relatives? Childhood Describe some of the happiest moments during your childhood.

Do you remember specific songs, rhymes, or stories from your childhood?

With whom did you play and where?

What games did you play? What toys did you have?

What responsibilities and expectations did your parents have for you, and at what ages?

Do you remember being punished? If so, for what offenses? And by whom? School Who attended school?

Who ran the school?

Do you remember names of teachers?

What subjects did you study?

How many years did you attend school?

Do any incidents stand out in your mind?

Were there other schools in your town/village/city? Occupational Preparation Were there apprenticeships for specific jobs?

What job or vocation did your parents want you to pursue? Household Management How did you obtain, store, and prepare food?

How were children bathed? Clothes washed?

Describe a typical day in the life of an Armenian housewife.

How was money used within the household? What were typical expenses?

Who made decisions on household matters? Health Care Was there a hospital in your town? Were there doctors? Midwives? Nurses?

What happened when someone became sick in your house?

Were there home remedies? Medicines?

How did mothers give birth? What customs surrounded the birth of a child?

How were the elderly cared for? The mentally retarded? The physically handicapped? Leisure Pastimes What did you do during the summer? After school?

What books and newspapers were read in your home? By whom?

Did you have a summer house? Describe it.

Did your family go on vacations? Trips?

Describe patterns of visitation with others in your household.

How was leisure time spent by men? Women? Boys? Girls? Church What churches were in your city? Names? Who went?

To what church did you belong? What activities do you remember?

Was there an Evangelical church in your city? What was the relationship between its members and those who belonged to the Apostolic Church?

Were there missionaries from abroad? Names; Denomination?

Did religious leaders play an active role in your community? Politics? Religious Observances How did you celebrate Christmas, Lent, Easter, various saints' days?

How religious were people in your household? How often did you attend services? How often did most people in your community attend church? For what specific occasions?

Was religious commitment higher among Apostolics? Catholics? Protestants? Folk Heritage Do you remember any proverbs? Songs? Legends? Tales? Turkish sayings?

Do you remember any superstitions? Manners and Customs What customs existed relating to birth? Death? Health? Illness? Engagement? Marriage?

Rituals associated with entry into manhood/womanhood?

At what age did marriage occur? Who could marry whom? How was marriage permission secured? Could the girl refuse?

Was there divorce? Remarriage?

How were girls treated? How were wives treated? Armenians and Turks/Kurds Were there Turks in your city? Kurds?

How did Armenians and Turks/Kurds get along with each other?

Did you or your family have Turkish/Kurdish friends?

Did Armenians have any different rights from Turks?

Did you know any Armenians who became Muslims at the time of the deportations? Why did they convert? How were they treated by other Armenians? Clubs, Organizations, Political Groups Were there revolutionary parties in your area? How many members did they have? How active were they?

Outside of church, what clubs and organizations were there? To which did you or your family belong? Who belonged to these groups?

Were there charitable organizations in your community? What did they do? Community Organization Who were the Armenian leaders in your area? What were their responsibilities? How did they relate to the Turks in your area?

Were Armenians free to govern their community?

Were Armenians in complete control of their churches? Schools? Social Control by Turks In your community, what do you remember about courts? Prisons? Taxes? Drafting of Armenian men/boys?

Did Armenians ever try to defend themselves against attacks by Turks/Kurds? How?

How did Armenian leaders maintain control in your community? Military Service Did you or anyone else in your family serve in the military?

Who was drafted? Were men able to avoid the draft? How?

Section II: Massacre and Deportation

Before 1915 Did anyone in your extended family die in the 1894-96 massacres? #*The 1909 massacres? Who? How?

What were relationships like between Turks and Armenians immediately before the deportations of 1915? Were there any indications of growing political tensions? Imprisonment and Torture Were Armenians arrested or tortured in your area before the deportations?

Were guns or other weapons gathered from Armenians by Turkish officials in your area?

Did you observe any brutalities toward Armenians before the deportations ? Resistance Was there any resistance by Armenians against Turkish orders or brutalities?

Did any Turks/Kurds come to the rescue of Armenians? Did any Turks/Kurds shelter families? Children? Deportation Were Armenians deported from your area?

How were deportation orders given?

How many days did Armenians have to prepare for deportation?

How did Armenians prepare for deportation? What did you take with you?

Did you have transportation during the deportation?

Who was deported from your extended family?

Describe the first day or two of your deportation journey. Deportation Marches Where were you deported? Specific towns/villages?

Describe specific events that occurred during the deportation marches.

What role did gendarmes or soldiers play during the deportations?

Were you attacked at any point during the deportations?

Did you observe any incidents of rape? Abduction of children? Women?

Where did you sleep?

How did you secure food? Water?

How long were you deported? Days? Weeks? Months?

Did you observe people who died from attack? Dehydration? Starvation? Disease? Describe specific instances.

Did any of your family members die during the deportation marches? #*Were any abducted? Did any family members become separated? Deportation Caravan How many were deported from your area?

How many arrived at the destination point of your caravan?

Was there any resistance to being deported? Why or why not?

Did you observe other deportation caravans? What was their condition?

Section III: Orphanage Life

(if survivor lived in an orphanage)

Admission When did you first become aware that there were orphanages for survivors.

In what orphanage(s) did you live? Name? Place? How long did you live there? Who was in charge? Names of people?

How did you enter the orphanage? What procedures were followed in admitting you? Orphanage Life Describe a typical day in the orphanage.

Describe the facilities. How was the orphanage organized?

How was the food? Clothing?

Did you go to school? Or receive vocational training?

What did you do for recreation?

What are your favorite memories and worst memories of orphanage life? Armenian Identity Did you have to relearn the Armenian language?

Were there efforts to instill a nationalistic spirit in the orphans?

What was the role of religious education within your orphanage?

Do you remember specific songs or other things that you learned in the orphanage? Leaving the Orphanage When did your orphanage leave Turkey? Describe the process.

Where were you resettled after leaving Turkey? Describe the new setting.

At what age did children finally leave the orphanages? Were there engagements and marriages in the orphanages? Reunions How did you become reunited with family? Relatives? Friends?

After leaving the orphanage, did you return to Turkey? If so, describe the process of going home and what you found in your hometown.

Section IV: Emigration and Marriage

Marriage Where did you meet your spouse? Describe courtship/marriage.

Where did you live? In how many different places/countries did you live? What years? Why did you move?

What job(s) did you and your spouse have? Describe your economic circumstances.

How many children do you have? Where were they born? When? United States (Or present country of residence) When did you immigrate to the United States? Why?

Did children, relatives, or friends immigrate before you?

Did you encounter any problems in entering the United States?

What were your first impressions of the United States?

How did you make a living after coming to the United States? #*Describe your job history.

Where in the United States have you lived? Adjustment Were there any Armenian organizations, churches, or other groups that were particularly helpful to you?

How did your children adjust to the United States? Your spouse?

Have you experienced any discrimination in the United States?

What have been your hardest times since coming to the United States?

Did you ever regret moving to the United States? Children/Grandchildren Describe your children. Did they marry Armenians? How many grandchildren do you have? Where are your grandchildren going to school?

What type of work do your children do? Where do they live?

Did you name any of your children after siblings or relatives who died in the genocide?

Do your grandchildren speak Armenian? Can they write Armenian? Do they know your story? Are they proud to be Armenian?

What churches do your children/grandchildren amend?

Do your children/grandchildren belong to any Armenian organizations?

Do they subscribe to any Armenian newspapers? Armenian Identity Do you have many non-Armenian friends? What percentage of your closest friends are Armenian?

To what Armenian organizations do you currently belong? How active are you?

Do you speak Armenian in your home? With your spouse? Children? Grandchildren?

Do you attend an Armenian church? Name? How regularly?

Are you worried about the future of Armenians in the United States? Why? In what ways'

What advice do you have for Armenian young people?

What does it mean to be a good Armenian?

Section V. Attitudes and Interpretations