On 11 July, the Dutch government sent a formal request to the European Commission (EC) to set up the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure (EHRI) as a permanent facility, on behalf of all the countries involved. This request includes an elaborate plan with important details, such as the location of the headquarters of EHRI in the Netherlands, the content of the legal entity to be set up and the agreed draft statutes.

EHRI is transforming from a series of projects into a permanent organisation in the form of an ERIC – a European Research Infrastructure Consortium, a legal entity set up by the EC with legal personality and full legal capacity.  This transformation is an initiative of the many research institutions, archives and museums worldwide that have participated in EHRI projects since 2010. The first participating countries of the new international Holocaust Research Infrastructure are expected to include, in addition to the Netherlands: Belgium, Germany, Israel, Croatia, Austria, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom.

The set-up of this new Holocaust research infrastructure and the required staff are paid for by the member states themselves. The Netherlands is the hosting country and will house the central office of EHRI within the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies in Amsterdam. In all member countries of this new EHRI organisation, national nodes will be established, involving a number of Holocaust related institutions that will work together with one acting as coordinator.

It may take several months before the European Commission formally approves the plans, but the joint aim is to launch the new EHRI facility in January 2025, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

After the launch, EHRI will be able to continue many of its current activities, building on the previous European projects. In these projects (EHRI 1-3, PP and IP), the participating research institutions have already developed a solid foundation for transnational online Holocaust research and training facilities. These resources, such as the EHRI Portal that offers access to information on Holocaust-related archival material held in institutions across Europe and beyond, will now be consolidated. Furthermore EHRI in its new organisational form will be able to expand and improve its support for transnational Holocaust research.

As the Dutch Minister for Education, Culture and Science, Eppo Bruins, stated: “If you want to improve your future, you have to know your past. We are seeing an increase in the number of antisemitic incidents across Europe. I find this unacceptable and a major concern. The EHRI collects public information about the Holocaust, making it more accessible to researchers and other interested parties. This is important because more knowledge and research of our past is of great importance for combating antisemitism in society.”

Read the press release by the Dutch government (in Dutch)

Read the online article by Emily Twinch, Holocaust research infrastructure moves towards permanent footing, Research Professional News

Read the Official Letter (Kamerbrief) of the Dutch Cabinet to Parliament (Dutch)

New article in Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf (Dutch) and news item in Het Parool (Dutch)

Interview with NIOD Deputy Director Hinke Piersma on Radio 1. Time 3:18 – 3:24 (Dutch)