Creating the Dutch National Node for the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure (EHRI)

Published on 22 February 2023

The Netherlands holds a unique collection of records relating to the Holocaust and Second World War and there are many researchers that study the Holocaust. EHRI-NL is working towards the further integration of Holocaust archives and research in the Netherlands by providing different ways of engagement, cooperation and exchange.

EHRI-NL will become the Dutch national node of the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure (EHRI), a European Union funded project which is in the process of becoming a permanent pan-European organisation (EHRI-ERIC). EHRI-ERIC will be fully operational by January 2025, the 80th-anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. The NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies has been coordinator of EHRI since the first project started in 2010. The Netherlands will be the hosting country for EHRI-ERIC’s central office.

EHRI-NL will seek to ensure the long-term sustainability of Holocaust research within the Netherlands and beyond by:

representing institutions within the Netherlands which contain materials related to Holocaust Studies to create a strong research consortium;
connecting resources through a state-of-the-art digital infrastructure;
developing innovative digital research tools;
offering fellowships and training opportunities for researchers, archivists, and heritage professionals.

The formation of EHRI-NL is coordinated by NIOD in close cooperation with the Jewish Cultural Quarter and the University of Amsterdam. Other possible candidates from Dutch universities and institutions were recently invited to an investigative meeting which showed that there is a great interest in working together on topics such as access to archives, education and fellowships. The Dutch Netwerk Oorlogsbronnen (Network War Sources), an important partner in the field which connects online over twelve million original sources, gave a presentation and will be involved in further developments. NIOD in its coordinating role will continue to establish and shape the national node.

EHRI's impact is primarily scientific, however, the infrastructure also advances a wider social and political agenda. The recent rise of antisemitism, xenophobia and aggressive nationalisms in Europe and beyond demonstrate that Holocaust research is never a purely academic concern, but a prerequisite for open and non-discriminatory societies across Europe and beyond.

For more information on the European organisation, visit the EHRI Website.

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