By the time I reached High School my interest in the history of National Socialism and particularly the history of the Holocaust had already been sparked, thanks to engaged teachers, study trips to memorial sites and meeting survivors. There was no doubt that this would also become a focal point of my study once I became a student in history, political and media science at the University of Trier in 2006. My master thesis focused on the Zionist newspaper “Jüdische Rundschau” and its news coverage during the first years of National Socialism. Shortly afterwards, in 2012, I was admitted to the Leibniz Graduate School “Disappointment during the 20th century. Loss of utopia, denial, renegotiation”, hosted by the Institute for Contemporary History (IfZ) and the Ludwig-Maximilians University, both located in Munich.

Network of people

My PhD thesis analyzed German-Jewish organizations and their internal and official debates on the prospect of overcoming antisemitism between World War I and the first years of National Socialism. Upon defending my thesis in the summer of 2016, I was asked by colleagues Frank Bajohr and Andrea Löw if I would like to start working in EHRI. I was really excited about this opportunity since I had followed EHRI‘s activities and opportunities closely since I had began working at IfZ. While researching and writing my thesis, I realized the crucial importance of having a network of people and institutions at your side to support you. I was therefore particularly happy to become part of an infrastructure that encourages researchers, as well as anyone working in the field of Holocaust studies, to connect with each other and share key information.

Task within EHRI

My central task within EHRI is the work in Work Package (WP) 4 “Training and Education” where I was appointed Work Package leader in 2017, as well as in Work Package 5 on “Coordinating Trans-National Access” (Read more about Work Packages). In WP 4, my colleagues and I plan and conduct the EHRI methodological Seminars and Online Courses, while WP 5 coordinates the EHRI Fellowship-Program. In addition, I am also involved in the work of WP 9, which is responsible for “Data Identification and Integration” as well as WP 12 where EHRI develops “New Views on Digital Archives”. For this Work Package, my colleagues and I are currently preparing an online edition of Diplomatic Reports from World War II in which the persecution and murder of the European Jews is mentioned and discussed. The various intriguing tasks, the possibilities to take part in wonderful seminars as well as the chance to meet great people in and outside of the project make it a true pleasure being part of EHRI.

End of a work day

In case you look for me at the end of a work day, you will probably find me in one of Munich’s cinemas, the Residenztheater, the Opera – or swimming in one of the lakes outside the city.

Photo of Anna Ullrich by Margrit Schmidt