The Great War Archive is a landmark digital community archive based in the United Kingdom that preserves and shares personal experiences, photographs, documents and memorabilia relating to the First World War (1914–1918). Hosted by the University of Oxford, the Archive draws on material contributed by members of the public from across the UK, giving voice to individual stories and family histories connected to the Great War.
The Great War Archive is a publicly-sourced digital repository comprising over 6,500 items submitted between March and June 2008. The collection includes letters, diaries, photographs, medals, postcards and other artefacts that originate from or relate to someone’s lived experience of the First World War, either on the front lines abroad or on the home front in Britain.
The Archive was established in 2008 by the University of Oxford in partnership with UK higher education and digital heritage bodies, including the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) and funded in part by the European Union. It was designed as part of a broader initiative to harness digital technologies for historical preservation and education.
Unlike traditional archives that rely on institutional acquisitions, The Great War Archive was built through crowdsourcing. Members of the public were invited to contribute digital versions of family heirlooms, wartime keepsakes, and other personal materials. Contributions were submitted via an online platform and through a series of “open days” held across libraries and museums throughout the UK.
Following its initial success, The Great War Archive model influenced similar community archive initiatives both within the UK and internationally. It provided a template for engaging the public in digital preservation and was used to train other organisations in building community collections online. Collaborations extended to projects such as Europeana 1914-1918, which expanded the concept across Europe.
The Archive was highly commended at the Times Higher Educational Awards 2008 in recognition of its innovative use of information and communication technologies to engage the public in historical preservation.
The Archive’s holdings are made freely accessible online, with each item accompanied by metadata and contextual information provided by contributors. This rich collection supports educators, researchers, historians and family history enthusiasts in exploring the human dimension of the First World War — beyond official records and military statistics.
Beyond preservation, The Great War Archive serves as an educational resource, offering insights into personal experiences of war and its impact on British communities. Its content has been used in teaching, research and commemorative activities, helping to ensure that the voices and memories of those connected to the Great War remain accessible to future generations.
Type above and press Enter to search.
