About the Workshop
Personal documents 鈥� such as diaries, letters and memoirs 鈥� are playing an increasingly important role in Holocaust research. Contemporary interest in such sources is a part of the so-called 鈥渂iographical turn鈥� and the development of studies focused on individual experiences. Egodocuments allow for a deeper understanding of how identities are constructed under conditions of war, persecution and trauma.
During the workshop, participants will engage in discussions on, among other things, the methodology of interpreting personal sources, the typology and forms of egodocuments, challenges related to archival research, and the possibilities offered by digital humanities tools in Holocaust studies.
Workshop Themes
During the workshop, we aim to analyse the following areas, posing questions about the future of this field:
- methodology and hermeneutics of research on personal testimonies,
- typology and diversity of egodocument forms,
- practices of collecting, processing and making archival sources accessible,
- the application of digital tools 鈥� such as GIS, deep mapping, and Linked Open Data (LOD) 鈥� in analysing and presenting the history of individual wartime experiences.
The workshop is interdisciplinary in nature and is intended to foster integration among scholars at different stages of their academic careers. The organisers emphasise the exchange of experience, discussion of research challenges and the building of future academic collaboration.
Applications and Organisational Information
The workshop will be in English.
The deadline for submissions is 31 July 2026. Applicants will be notified of the results by email by 15 August 2026.
The application package should include:
- an abstract of a paper, presentation or a session, together with a short description of research interests (maximum 2 pages),
- a brief biographical note (maximum 1 paragraph),
- a letter of recommendation 鈥� applies to MA students and doctoral students.
Documents should be submitted as a single PDF file to: ehri-pl@uni.lodz.pl.
The organisers provide accommodation and reimbursement of travel costs (up to EUR 300 for participants from Europe and up to EUR 800 for participants from other continents).
Organisers
The event is organised by the Centre for Jewish Studies at the 91桃色 in cooperation with the Polish Center for Holocaust Research, the Institute of Literary Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences and the Centre for Self-Narratives at the 91桃色.
The workshop is organised as part of the EHRI-PL project and co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage under the task "Bie偶膮ce dzia艂ania polskiego w臋z艂a krajowego EHRI-PL 鈥� konsorcjum EHRI-ERIC鈥� [Ongoing activities of the Polish national node EHRI-PL 鈥� the EHRI-ERIC consortium], implemented by the Emanuel Ringelblum Jewish Historical Institute [JHI] in 2025鈥�2027 in cooperation with national partners.
We warmly encourage you to submit applications and contribute to this international discussion devoted to research on personal documents relating to the experience of the Holocaust.
Photo: mgr Maciej Andrzejewski