Despite the upheaval caused by Covid-19, EHRI’s two projects have advanced well over the past year. A lot of credit for maintaining the momentum in both EHRI-Preparatory Phase and EHRI-3 is due to the dedication of all involved. We give special thanks to colleagues who began working for EHRI shortly before, or even during lockdowns.

EHRI will remain very active in 2021. We look forward, for example, to the inaugural meeting of EHRI’s Board of Governmental Representatives - a committee of distinguished representatives from national ministries and funding bodies that will play a key role in developing the permanent EHRI organisation. In EHRI as elsewhere, the repetitive lockdowns have stimulated a can-do approach to activities that ordinarily would involve travel. Most prominent at this moment is our call for applications to the Conny Kristel Fellowships, which offer international access to an unprecedented range of key archives and collections, as well as to archival and digital humanities expertise. If possible and needed, remote access is now part of the equation. We also wish to highlight our Document Blog, our ever-growing podium for brief, innovative interpretations and presentations of vivid primary sources.

On 27 January, EHRI, and its partners will mark Holocaust Memorial Day. Recent events and developments show that this day more important than ever. To truly honour the victims of the Holocaust, all of us need to redouble our efforts to erect barriers against the rapid spread of hate speech, lies and misinformation, and to push back against the rising tide of antisemitism, racism and xenophobia. By providing access to reliable and properly contextualised sources from across the world, and by supporting new research into the origins, mechanics and legacy of the Holocaust, EHRI critically contributes to this mission.