cognitive perspectives, without leaving it all to historians. In preparing the programme, the conference organisers were aware of this state of affairs. Therefore, in addition to outstanding historians (Omer Bartov, Audrey Kichelwski, Katarzyna Person), we also invited literary scholars (Roma Sendyka, Dorota Głowacka, Mindaugas Kvietkauskas), cultural anthropologists and sociologists (Jackie Feldman, Éva Kovács, Daniel Levy), memory practitioners (Adam Karpel-Fronius, Lior Inbar) to collaborate with us.
In turn, the conference's in-depth research objective was to discuss the interdependencies and tensions arising between the universal (global, transnational) scale of Holocaust memory and memory rooted in a particular space and culture of historical experience (at the local, ethnic, national level). Thus, we were interested in the mutual impacts between different scales of memory, including both mutual inspiration and conceptual misuse: hence, questions were asked about both the ontological (this issue was addressed in a speech by Ewa Domańska or Katarzyna Maja Grzybowska) and phenomenological (Piotr Cywiński, Jie-Hyun Lim) boundaries of the universalisation of memory, as well as the contemporary, international significance of the microcontextualisation of memories (Omer Bartov, Johanna Lehr) about the Holocaust experience.
The contexts in which we decided to hold an academic discussion resulted, on the one hand, from the fact that we noticed the impact of the previously mentioned globalisation processes on the subject matter discussed (the risk of a deepening universalisation of the meaning of the Holocaust event was addressed, and the risk/opportunities resulting from the increased introduction of on-line and virtual media into educational practices; these issues were addressed, among others, in the lectures of Jackie Feldman, Josefine Honke, Nastassya Ferns). On the other hand, it was an expression of the need for an empirical turnaround in research on the Shoah, which is increasingly often postulated and shared by the organisers, and consequently, for the presentation of innovative potentials lying in local sources ("innovative" particularly for international communities, as Agnieszka Wierzcholska, Magda Heydel, Peter Davis, Marta Janczewska pointed out in their speech).
While developing the conference programme, we also wanted to draw attention to the ethical dimension of the issues raised (especially given the challenges/crises of the post-global world). We consider the juxtaposition of two perspectives (local and global) to be important also because only an expanded perception seems to make it possible to transcend the paradigm of the Holocaust as a "historical event", thus opening the possibility of its interpretation in the context of "anthropological experience". Consequently, the experience where a central focus is on the voices of victims/survivors and their narration (including: "the 'local' historical narrative, which in many cases did not appear in the canon of literature on the Holocaust, because it was created in the languages of Central and Eastern Europe). It is also central for understanding the constant need for protecting human rights and listening to the voices of those in need in the XX1 century (the topic of ethical responsibility for studies/holocaust education in the times of contemporary crises appeared in the lectures of Piotr Cywiński, Daniel Levy, Olof Bortz, Ida Richter, Danielle Lucksted, among others).
The Holocaust: between local and global perspectives. Conference Programme
This year's conference, which took place in November 2020, was a symbolic event for several reasons. Firstly, it addressed an issue fundamental to the mission of the ENRS (and also required a particular sensitivity towards research). Secondly, it was the 10th-anniversary edition of the academic project "Genealogies of Memory". Finally, it was the first time such a large event was organised by the Network on-line. However, it is thanks to the need to introduce new technological solutions that we can share with you today, the full archive of our event on YouTube.
The authors of the concept for this year's conference were Małgorzata Pakier, PhD, (ENRS) and Małgorzata Wosińska. However, without the substantive and logistics support of Gábor Danyi (ENRS), members of the Programme Council, and above all, trust (in the chance of success of an international academic undertaking in times of the pandemic) of the main partners