Periodic Reporting for period 2 - EHRI-3 (European Holocaust Research Infrastructure)
Reporting period: 2022-03-01 to 2023-08-31
As Holocaust denial and distortion remain a part of society, the importance of the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure (EHRI) cannot be highlighted enough. As a research infrastructure that focuses on supporting trans-national Holocaust research, commemoration and education, EHRI-3 plays an important role in ensuring that sources related to the Holocaust are and remain (digitally) accessible to as many people as possible.
The wide dispersal of sources and expertise across many institutions remains the main challenge. EHRI-3 combats this by connecting sources, institutions and people. EHRI-3 continues where EHRI-1 (2010-2015) and EHRI-2 (2015-2019) started; it connects and maintains connections with various institutions and researchers across the globe, while simultaneously focusing on further integrating Holocaust research and archives. The inclusion of micro-archives in the EHRI Portal, as well as continually providing both training and education opportunities to both archivists and researchers, solidifies the importance of EHRI in the field of Holocaust education, commemoration and research. The development of digital tools and the EHRI Conny Kristel Fellowship Programme further ensure that more people have access to EHRI’s services.
Though EHRI-3’s main audience remains scholarly communities, the project’s importance for all societies in general is clear. Holocaust denial and distortion impact all layers of society as it twists our shared history. Facilitating access to as many sources as possible supports working with the truth about the Holocaust. That knowledge can lead to (more) tolerant views.
The overall aim of the EHRI-3 project is providing access to as many hidden archives as possible. This will be facilitated by the development of tools and protocols for Holocaust research. EHRI-3 will also continue growing its network by integrating new communities, thus ensuring that many people are aware of, and have access to, as many sources as possible.
The wide dispersal of sources and expertise across many institutions remains the main challenge. EHRI-3 combats this by connecting sources, institutions and people. EHRI-3 continues where EHRI-1 (2010-2015) and EHRI-2 (2015-2019) started; it connects and maintains connections with various institutions and researchers across the globe, while simultaneously focusing on further integrating Holocaust research and archives. The inclusion of micro-archives in the EHRI Portal, as well as continually providing both training and education opportunities to both archivists and researchers, solidifies the importance of EHRI in the field of Holocaust education, commemoration and research. The development of digital tools and the EHRI Conny Kristel Fellowship Programme further ensure that more people have access to EHRI’s services.
Though EHRI-3’s main audience remains scholarly communities, the project’s importance for all societies in general is clear. Holocaust denial and distortion impact all layers of society as it twists our shared history. Facilitating access to as many sources as possible supports working with the truth about the Holocaust. That knowledge can lead to (more) tolerant views.
The overall aim of the EHRI-3 project is providing access to as many hidden archives as possible. This will be facilitated by the development of tools and protocols for Holocaust research. EHRI-3 will also continue growing its network by integrating new communities, thus ensuring that many people are aware of, and have access to, as many sources as possible.
The Scientific Advisory Board (SAB)
The SAB continues to provide the EHRI-3 project with strategic and independent scientific advice. This quality insurance from representatives from various fields (Holocaust research, archival sciences, digital humanities and humanities research infrastructures) has led to e.g. valuable feedback on the EHRI Dashboard and the EHRI Geospatial Repository.
Dissemination, Communication, Impact and Training
A publication repository has been created to grant everyone who visits it access to publications related to the work that EHRI does and has done. By hosting this repository on a monitored open online publication archive, the EHRI-3 project has ensured that only peer-reviewed work is uploaded. Disseminating peer-reviewed work assists with combatting false Holocaust narratives. EHRI is continually promoted via social media. LinkedIn has been added to its overview of channels. After the success of the first season, the EHRI Podcast launched its second season on 5 October 2023. EHRI is scheduled to release a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in late 2023. By releasing the MOOC as a free, open and self-guided course on the relatively well known online course platform Coursera, EHRI aims to reach a high number of learners.
Supporting Research and Communities
The creation of two Expert Groups - The Information and Reference Services Group and The Holocaust Photographs Expert Group - has enabled and encouraged members of those groups to present their work and their institution, as well as discuss issues and challenges within the fields focused on by the groups. The EHRI (Mobile) Experts Lab will continue supporting Holocaust research communities by providing training for archives and museums.
Virtual & Trans-National Access
EHRI has continued its work on the enhancement of its online environment for virtual access. Feedback from the International Advisory Panel ensures that EHRI remains capable of providing its virtual access users with output that fits their needs, and that shows in the increased usage of EHRI resources. Since the start of the EHRI-3 project, there have been four calls for applications to the EHRI Conny Kristel Fellowship. The third and fourth call show an increase in applicants from Central Eastern and Southern Europe. This shows the positive effect of EHRI’s outreach efforts.
Data Identification and Integration
Six regional data integration hubs are now in operation. As the needs of institutions within various regions can differ, the regional hubs focus on how they can best deliver what is needed from them in their area. The EHRI Data integration lab has reached out to many archives in a bid to integrate as much data as possible into the EHRI Portal. As not all institutions store their data in the same way, new technical tools were tested to ensure that the best fitted tools were used to facilitate the data integration process.
The EHRI Geospatial Repository and the EHRI Dashboard
By researching the available data sources and software solutions, EHRI located the most fitting software to build its geospatial repository on. The EHRI Geospatial Repository enables users to access Holocaust-related geospatial data. By also offering the possibility to deposit and standardize datasets, the EHRI Geospatial Repository ensures that the needs of even more EHRI users are met. By using the EHRI Dashboard, users will be able to obtain information from various EHRI resources while only accessing one website. Various features within the EHRI Dashboard are currently being tested. The site will be accessible to the public shortly.
Archives & micro-archival communities
Following a successful workshop with a focus on the engagement of micro-archives, more workshops are being scheduled. To ensure reaching as many micro-archives as possible, the workshops are taking place across Europe. By educating micro-archives on the proper way to handle and store their data, EHRI strives to help preserve as many micro-archives as possible. To facilitate the process of accessing micro-archives, EHRI is working on MAPT, a Micro Archive Publication Tool. To ensure the preservation of oral testimonies, researchers and cataloguers have been educated about using a tool that automatically transcribes oral testimonies. EHRI has also hosted a workshop on the challenges involved with working with Holocaust sources in the digital age.
The SAB continues to provide the EHRI-3 project with strategic and independent scientific advice. This quality insurance from representatives from various fields (Holocaust research, archival sciences, digital humanities and humanities research infrastructures) has led to e.g. valuable feedback on the EHRI Dashboard and the EHRI Geospatial Repository.
Dissemination, Communication, Impact and Training
A publication repository has been created to grant everyone who visits it access to publications related to the work that EHRI does and has done. By hosting this repository on a monitored open online publication archive, the EHRI-3 project has ensured that only peer-reviewed work is uploaded. Disseminating peer-reviewed work assists with combatting false Holocaust narratives. EHRI is continually promoted via social media. LinkedIn has been added to its overview of channels. After the success of the first season, the EHRI Podcast launched its second season on 5 October 2023. EHRI is scheduled to release a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in late 2023. By releasing the MOOC as a free, open and self-guided course on the relatively well known online course platform Coursera, EHRI aims to reach a high number of learners.
Supporting Research and Communities
The creation of two Expert Groups - The Information and Reference Services Group and The Holocaust Photographs Expert Group - has enabled and encouraged members of those groups to present their work and their institution, as well as discuss issues and challenges within the fields focused on by the groups. The EHRI (Mobile) Experts Lab will continue supporting Holocaust research communities by providing training for archives and museums.
Virtual & Trans-National Access
EHRI has continued its work on the enhancement of its online environment for virtual access. Feedback from the International Advisory Panel ensures that EHRI remains capable of providing its virtual access users with output that fits their needs, and that shows in the increased usage of EHRI resources. Since the start of the EHRI-3 project, there have been four calls for applications to the EHRI Conny Kristel Fellowship. The third and fourth call show an increase in applicants from Central Eastern and Southern Europe. This shows the positive effect of EHRI’s outreach efforts.
Data Identification and Integration
Six regional data integration hubs are now in operation. As the needs of institutions within various regions can differ, the regional hubs focus on how they can best deliver what is needed from them in their area. The EHRI Data integration lab has reached out to many archives in a bid to integrate as much data as possible into the EHRI Portal. As not all institutions store their data in the same way, new technical tools were tested to ensure that the best fitted tools were used to facilitate the data integration process.
The EHRI Geospatial Repository and the EHRI Dashboard
By researching the available data sources and software solutions, EHRI located the most fitting software to build its geospatial repository on. The EHRI Geospatial Repository enables users to access Holocaust-related geospatial data. By also offering the possibility to deposit and standardize datasets, the EHRI Geospatial Repository ensures that the needs of even more EHRI users are met. By using the EHRI Dashboard, users will be able to obtain information from various EHRI resources while only accessing one website. Various features within the EHRI Dashboard are currently being tested. The site will be accessible to the public shortly.
Archives & micro-archival communities
Following a successful workshop with a focus on the engagement of micro-archives, more workshops are being scheduled. To ensure reaching as many micro-archives as possible, the workshops are taking place across Europe. By educating micro-archives on the proper way to handle and store their data, EHRI strives to help preserve as many micro-archives as possible. To facilitate the process of accessing micro-archives, EHRI is working on MAPT, a Micro Archive Publication Tool. To ensure the preservation of oral testimonies, researchers and cataloguers have been educated about using a tool that automatically transcribes oral testimonies. EHRI has also hosted a workshop on the challenges involved with working with Holocaust sources in the digital age.
With COVID-19 pandemic restrictions being lifted across the globe, the EHRI-3 project has been able to conduct outreach in-person as well as virtually. This has led to significant progress, namely an even bigger expansion of the community, and more integration of hidden archives. Pandemic-related delays are still visible in certain tasks and require focused attention and time. Overall, however, EHRI-3 remains on track with its overall aim of providing access to as many hidden archives as possible, as well as its objective of connecting as many communities as possible. Combatting antisemitism, discrimination, xenophobia, and religious and cultural intolerance is still something that needs to be undertaken actively every day. With the planned establishment of a fully operational, permanent Holocaust research infrastructure by January 2025, EHRI will continue the important work it is doing well past the end of the EHRI-3 project.