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02/10/2026 15:16
Start of funding for the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure in Germany (EHRI-DE)
On February 1, 2026, funding for the German offshoot of the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure (EHRI-ERIC) by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) began at the Institute for Contemporary History (IfZ) in Munich.
Over the next four years, EHRI-DE will be set up at the Center for Holocaust Studies at the Institute for Contemporary History Munich-Berlin in close cooperation with several partner institutions (including the Federal Archives and the Arolsen Archives – International Center on Nazi Persecution).
EHRI-DE will be established as an active, open and innovative platform for Holocaust researchers and experts in the field of remembrance, mediation and documentation work. In order to implement the research-related activities and goals of EHRI-ERIC in Germany and to promote the transnational perspective on the history of the Holocaust, EHRI-DE will continue to network scattered archival sources and enable (digitally supported) research collaborations.
EHRI-DE thus reflects the special historical responsibility of the Federal Republic of Germany towards the victims of National Socialism and their descendants. The establishment of an EHRI consortium in Germany and its firm anchoring in the infrastructure of the EHRI-ERIC is the central subject of the project.
EHRI-DE will prepare, network and make accessible existing metadata from victims of National Socialist persecution in Germany of different origins in the planned “Central Research and Information Portal on Victims of National Socialist Persecution in Germany” (ZeFo-DE). Through this central access to standardized personal data, EHRI-DE offers a common platform and database for research as well as memorial and mediation institutions as well as an interested public. This includes:
• Standardized biographical information,
• Linking to digital copies and archive metadata
• Search and analysis functions
In addition, EHRI-DE will actively participate in the further development of the content of the EHRI portal, which links Holocaust-related inventory descriptions scattered around the world. participate. These include:
• Archivmetadaten
• EHRI-Vocabulare
• EHRI-Country Reports
EHRI-DE continues to participate in the transnational EHRI-Conny-Kristel Fellowship program. The program offers scientists who research the Holocaust access to relevant archives and expertise. EHRI-DE aims to further expand the network of participating institutions in Germany.
The Fellowship Program offers:
• Scholarships for short stays at several partner institutions (currently five institutions in Germany)
• Network events to connect researchers
• Mentoring from experts
Workshops and seminars will sustainably strengthen the communication of the history of the Holocaust in Germany. An educational program based on various event formats is aimed at:
• Teachers (secondary, higher education)
• Students
• EHRI user groups from research, documentation and memory
In addition, the network of participating institutions should be expanded generically to ensure the broadest possible access to sources and specialist knowledge. The establishment of a networked infrastructure for data, knowledge and experts is considered a milestone for research and remembrance policy in Germany.
Over the next four years, EHRI-DE will deepen the integration of the national and European research landscape, open up new data sources and continuously expand the range of knowledge available. Through close collaboration with international partners, EHRI-DE is intended to develop into a key resource for Holocaust research and remembrance policy in Germany and beyond.
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Criteria of this press release:
Journalists, Scientists and scholars
Economics / business administration, Information technology, Media and communication sciences, Politics, Social studies
transregional, national
Research projects, Transfer of Science or Research
German
date: 2026-02-10 14:18:00
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