Second keynote: Wendy Lower
In the second keynote lecture, Wendy Lower (Claremont McKenna College, USA) outlined some recent trends and promises in Holocaust Studies. While noting a growth of interest and activity in Holocaust, she nevertheless perceives the field’s efforts as being diffused. In her speech, Lower highlighted the importance of conceptualising the Holocaust as a European event, often framed by the microcosm of European culture. In this context, trans-national networking and digitalisation are important to conduct cross-border research. However, Lower stressed that all too often scholars still adhere to national narratives, and she stressed the need for further impetus to enable a truly transnational perspective in Holocaust Studies. Lower also emphasised the significance of interdisciplinarity in Holocaust Studies, and in particular the value of archeological approaches.
Video premiere: EHRI’s Human Network
The keynote lectures were followed by a video presentation about EHRI's human network which introduced the panel discussion Accessing historical documents and creating expert networks. The panel was composed of former EHRI fellows who were sharing their experiences of participating in EHRI. Moderation was in the hands of Anna Ullrich from the Munich Institut für Zeitgeschichte and EHRI's coordinator for fellowships and training. The panel highlighted the importance of the EHRI Fellowship Programme and the manifold benefits participants could derive from it such as getting feedback about their projects, accessing sources and expertise, supporting research in specific archives and networking.