Christine Kausch from Germany was an EHRI fellow at the NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies in Amsterdam in September 2014. She used her fellowship to do research for her PhD-thesis, which deals with Jewish refugees from Germany who came to the Netherlands in the 1930s. Her research focuses especially on aspects of the refugees’ daily life in the years 1933-1945.

Christine studied history, political science and musicology in Bochum, Sydney and Groningen. Already during her studies, she dealt intensely with the National Socialism and in particular with the persecution of the European Jews. At the same time, she also worked for several years for the Mahn- und Gedenkstätte Düsseldorf.

Dutch colleagues

She used her stay in Amsterdam particularly to do final research in the archives and the extensive library of the NIOD and to discuss her project with Dutch colleagues.

Christine: 'The NIOD has always been an important institution for my research. The fellowship allowed me to spend a whole month there and to benefit not only from the archive and the library, but also from the contacts to the staff members. It made it possible for me to clarify last open questions.'

Christine's research is in the final phase and is expected to be completed next year. The results will be published in a book.

Transnational networking

Christine was very positive about the EHRI fellowships: 'I think it is a wonderful program that allows scientists not only to do concentrated research at leading institutions dealing with the research of the Holocaust, but it also contributes to further transnational networking and an international academic exchange.'

Read more about Christine Kausch

Profiles EHRI Fellows 2014