P092 - Preserving the Legacy of the founder of Victimology : A Journey Through the Archives of Benjamin Mendelsohn

• In Event: Poster Session & Ice Cream Social

Abstract

The Mendelsohn archives represent a significant collection chronicling the emergence and development of victimology. This collection comprises original materials, including Mendelsohn's extensive correspondence, seminal articles, photographs, and personal documents, that trace the discipline's evolution over its first 30 years. The archives offer a window into the mind of victimology's founding father, revealing his pioneering thoughts and the challenges he faced. This poster presents the first step in the creation of a digital archive to offer all victimology scholars access to this treasure. Initiated by the late Professor Leslie Sebba and Professor Simha Landau, the project focuses on rescuing and digitizing hundreds of documents that were at risk of being discarded. These documents, transferred to the Hebrew University's Faculty of Law library for digital preservation, provide unique insights into the development of victimology from its inception. After Professor Sebba’s passing in August 2022, the European Society of Criminology’s Victimology Working Group called for the continuation of this important work. A dedicated team of international victimologists has since digitally converted more than half of Mendelsohn's extensive collection, which is now accessible online for scholarly research. The project aims to deepen our understanding of victimology's roots and foster future research and education. Our poster will show how the archive enriches our understanding of victimology's origins and development, potentially reframing current perspectives and uncovering previously overlooked aspects of Mendelsohn's impact on the field.

Author

• Coscas-Williams Beatrice, Chair of the Esc victimology working Group and a Lecturer at the Academic College of the Western Galilee