Report Workshop 1 July 2025
On July 1, a full-day workshop titled “Digital Holocaust Memory and Research – die großen Unbekannten von der Bereitstellung bis zur Nutzung“ took place at the Insititute for History of German Jews (IGdJ). In five presentations, the speakers highlighted key aspects of digital history and digital outreach. The morning session focused on the theme “Sources as Data: Invisible Decisions – Unknown Use cases”. Key topics were the challenges of automatic text analysis (Helena Geibel, IGdJ) and the (re)production of historical experience in the digital space (Esther Rachow, Hebrew University of Jerusalem). In addition, the often neglected perspective on the target groups and users of digital formats were addressed and discussed (Tobias Ebbrecht-Hartmann, Hebrew University of Jerusalem). After a lunch break, the second block began with the focus on “Digital Holocaust outreach tools. New formats – new questions” and concentrated on specific digital Holocaust remembrances projects. Ernst Hüttl (LMU Munich) presented the initiative “Learning with digital Testimonies (LEDIZ)”, while Nicole Mattern (Kinder vom Bullenhuser Damm e.V.) introduced the serious game “Remembering: The Children of Bullenhuser Damm” for interactive history education. After each presentation, there was room for an in-depth exchange, in which the topics were reflected and questions were discussed together with the plenum and the speakers. In the final discussion, the moderators Helena Geibel, Anna Menny (IGdJ) and Esther Rachow (Hebrew University Jerusalem) summarized the key results and topics of the workshop. They identified the reciprocal interaction of analog and digital methods and spaces, the teaching of skills (data literacy, digital source criticism, media criticism) both on the part of researchers and producers as well as user., Framework conditions and resource issues which often stand in the way of sustainability and longevity were also named as well as participation, co-curation and (interdisciplinary) collaboration as central themes for digital research and outreach. They particularly emphasized the need for critical reflection, combined with transparent disclosure of the selection and decision-making processes. Especially with regard to increasingly data driven research or digital outreach, the aim is to make gaps and ambiguities visible. Particularly for these latter aspects, which affect the entire discipline, digital Jewish history seems to offer an opportunity, as it opens up new spaces for reflection and discussion.