How to share a valuable story
You don't need to be a historian. These simple methods, used by oral historians, make your memory useful for generations.
Telling your own memory
- Write it as you would tell it at the kitchen table, then add details.
- Use the 5 W's: who was there, what happened, when, where, and how you know.
- Separate what you saw yourself from what you heard or read later.
- It's fine to say "I don't remember" — honesty is more valuable than completeness.
Interviewing a grandparent or neighbour
- Ask permission, and ask if they want their name shown or protected.
- Record if they agree (phone audio is enough). Note the date, place and who was present.
- Ask open questions: "What do you remember about…?", "What happened next?", "Who else was there?"
- Don't correct or lead. Write down their words, then your notes separately.
- Ask about objects: photos, letters, papers they kept. Photograph them.
Dating a photo or document
- Look at the back: stamps, handwriting, photo studio names.
- Clothing, vehicles, shop signs and uniforms narrow down the period.
- Link it to family events: "taken the summer before my uncle left".
- Can't date it? Post it anyway — the community can help identify it.
What reviewers look for
- Clear source: firsthand, interview, or document.
- Specific, checkable details: names, places, dates, objects.
- Consistency with other witnesses and known history — or proof when it differs.
- A private contact so a historian can verify, if you're comfortable sharing one.
Example of a strong story (fictional)
The bread line on Rue Haute, winter 1942
I was eleven. Every Tuesday my mother sent me to the baker Dewit on Rue Haute in Brussels with our ration cards — the pale blue ones for bread. One morning in January 1942, when the snow was grey from coal smoke, a German lorry stopped at the corner and two soldiers took the sacks of flour from the bakery. Madame Dewit cried. We went home with nothing. My brother Jean, who was fourteen, was there too and remembers the lorry number started with "WH". I still have one of the ration cards; I attach a photo.
Why it works: firsthand, a precise place and month, a named second witness, sensory details, a checkable detail (vehicle plates), and a document.