To document the lives of Latvian refugees and cultural values the Latvian Central Committee established the Refugee Life Archive. The Refugee Life Archive collected materials on evacuation of Latvians from their motherland to Germany, on Latvian soldiers in World War II, Latvian refugees in Germany during the war and afterwards. Jēkabs Rasmanis and Lauma Juliāna Sloka had very important roles in establishing and improvement of the Refugee Life Archive.

The Central Council of Latvians started to create the Latvian Central Files (the so-called Hanau Files) already in 1945. These files contained data on more than 110 000 persons, including also the deceased and those who had left Germany.

At the time of preparation for mass leaving from Germany measures were taken to consign the Refugee Life Archive. At the end of 1949 the most important archival deposits were in the Latvian Embassy in London, Hoover Institute in California, Münster University Library in Germany, South American Latvian Archive in S?o Paulo, at the Latvian Red Cross in Brussels. The book collection of the Latvian National Council was in Germany. Likewise, the materials of the Institute of Bibliography of the Baltic University were also in Germany.

The Latvian Central Files were moved to Great Britain and deposited in the Latvian House in Almeley.

	J. Rasmaņa ziņojums par Bēgļu dzīves arhīvu. 1946. gada 14. augusts. LVA, 2335. f., 1. apr., 323. l., 1.-4. lp.
	Informācija par Latvijas Valsts arhīvu. LVA, 2176. f., 1v. apr., 166. l., 6. lp.
	Ģimenes lietu arhīva arhivāres Lūcijas Pāvs vēstule. 1945. gada 5. jūlijs. LVA, 2176. f., 1v. apr., 166. l., 4., 5. lp.