{"id":991,"date":"2020-12-17T12:18:19","date_gmt":"2020-12-17T12:18:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitalholocaustmemory.wordpress.com\/?p=991"},"modified":"2021-03-11T16:27:43","modified_gmt":"2021-03-11T16:27:43","slug":"digital-holocaust-memory-a-year-in-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reframe.sussex.ac.uk\/digitalholocaustmemory\/2020\/12\/17\/digital-holocaust-memory-a-year-in-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Digital Holocaust Memory: A Year In Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

2020 saw the birth of the Digital Holocaust Memory <\/strong>site. In this final post of the year, we reflect back on the project’s evolution across the nine month’s of its existence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Content<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The site started with a reflection on the very process of setting up a digital identity online related to Holocaust memory, especially on the limitations of social media platforms and naming Holocaust projects<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The creation of the site coincided with the launch of online programs commemorating the 75th anniveraries of the liberations of the last Nazi concentration camps <\/strong>and the end of World War II<\/strong>. Events could not happen in-person this year due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, and several posts reflected on the relationship between site, community, technology and memory, including 75 Years On: Commemorating the Liberation of Bergen-Belsen<\/a>, Implications of Physical Distancing for Commemoration<\/a>, and VE Day: Websites\/Physical Sites<\/a>. As well as a reflection on how we might archive these online events<\/a>, a post which led to the development of a funding bid with colleagues in the UK and Israel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bergen-Belsen Memorial ceremony<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Some posts covered more theoretical reflections, which represented online presentations given by this site’s curator Dr. Victoria Grace Walden, University of Sussex<\/a> for the Cape Town Holocaust and Genocide Centre and The Hebrew University on Debunking Digital Myths<\/a>, Holocaust Memory as Entanglement<\/a> respectively, and with Tessa Bouwman, Bergen-Belsen Memorial, on Dark Heritage at Europeana 2020. I reflected on wider questions raised at this conference here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2020 was not short of its controversies related to Holocaust memory and popular culture, so it felt pertinent to comment on the Amazon series Hunters<\/a> <\/em>and the TikTok #HolocaustChallenge<\/a> on the blog. There was also space to write about projects created by Holocaust museums<\/a>, particularly virtual tours<\/a> which became a common feature during lockdown. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The virtual tour of the Jewish Holocaust Centre, Melbourne<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One of the topics in which interest has exploded over the past few months is the subject of the Holocaust and computer games. We are really grateful to our guest contributors Kate Marrison<\/a> and Tabea Widemann<\/a>, who wrote blogs on this topic, and to Lauren Cantillon, who contributed a post on the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Next Chapter<\/a> series on YouTube. This inspiring project frames Holocaust survivors in the present-tense, exploring their hobbies today rather than fixating on their past. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We continue to welcome guest blog posts from academics at all stages in their career and those working for Holocaust memory, education and research organisations. Get in touch via the Contact Page with a proposal.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also pulled together a crowd-sourced reading list <\/a>full of useful sources for those studying and researching digital Holocaust memory. We endeavour to update this list at the end of each semester and iteratively inbetween as new suggestions are sent through. Do let us know the details of sources we can add – especially your own work. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although this site was originally intended to be a space for recording the development of a specific research project, it quickly evolved in something more – something very much a product of our pandemic times. We have been blown away by the collegiality and friendship that has grown across our online discussion series, and are incredibly thankful to the contributors who presented at these as well as the participants who engaged in lively chats that were so animated they were sometimes hard to follow! The recordings for the 2020 series can all be found on this site via the links below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May: Holocaust Memory during the Covid-19 Pandemic<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

with contributions from Stephen D. Smith (USC Shoah Foundation), Heather Blumenthal (Cape Town Holocaust and Genocide Centre), Anna Hirsh (Jewish Holocaust Centre, Melbourne) and Marc Cave (National Holocaust Centre and Museum)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

July: Digital Holocaust Memory – an academic roundtable<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

with contributions from Imogen Dalziel (Royal Holloway, University of London), Carmelle Stephens (Independent Scholar), Tobias Ebbrecht-Hartmann (Hebrew University), Tomasz Lysak (University of Warsaw), Caroline Sturdy Colls (Staffordshire University) and Victoria Grace Walden (University of Sussex)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

September: Holocaust Commemoration: Between Physical and Digital Spaces<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

with contributions from Stephanie Billib (Bergen-Belsen Memorial), Iris Groschek (Neuengamme Memorial), Pawel Sawicki (Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

October: Digital Holocaust Archives<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

with contributions from Karl Berkhoff (EHRI), Gilly Carr (University of Cambridge), Christian Groh (Arolsen Archives), Leah Sidebotham (Wiener Library), and Misko Stanisic (Terraforming.org) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

November: Playing the Holocaust – Part I – an academic discussion<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

with contributions from Wulf Kansteiner (Aarhus University), Kate Marrison (University of Leeds), Tabea Widmann (University of Konstanz), Pieter Van den Heede (Erasmus University, Rotterdam) and Victoria Grace Walden (University of Sussex)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have tried to make these sessions interactive and allow as many people to contribute via the chat or over their microphone as possible. However, if you have any feedback on how we can improve things, do get in touch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contributors<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digital Holocaust Memory <\/strong>is, at the backend, the work of one person: Dr Victoria Grace Walden, however, it would not be what it has become without the kind and enthusiastic contributions of many. I am a strong believer that research and thought are and always should be collective endeavours. <\/strong>So Digital Holocaust Memory is very much a ‘we’. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And so, I think it is fair to say we<\/em> are really humbled that so many people have contributed to the blog and online discussion series. Each event saw between 65 and 137 attendees. <\/strong>Contributions have come from academics and Holocaust memory and education professionals in the UK, Germany, Israel, Denmark, the Netherlands, Serbia, Poland, South Africa, the US and Australia, and colleagues from Japan, India, Argentina and a number of other countries have participated in conversations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stats<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since April 2020, we have had 11,531<\/strong> visits to the site from 6,578<\/strong> unique users .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have 63 <\/strong>followers via WordPress or email, 428 <\/strong>people follow the project on Facebook, and 766 <\/strong>on Twitter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have had 553 <\/strong>different individuals sign up for our online events and we know that many people register in order to receive the recording link so they can watch it at a time more accomodating to their time zone rather than participating live. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The site has reached users in 87 nations<\/strong> as illustrated on the map here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Global engagement with the Digital Holocaust Memory site 2020<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Although this all depends on whether they were using VPNs or not. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The top 10 <\/strong>countries where people are most engaging with the site are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. UK<\/li>
  2. USA<\/li>
  3. Germany<\/li>
  4. Israel<\/li>
  5. The Netherlands<\/li>
  6. Italy<\/li>
  7. China<\/li>
  8. Canada<\/li>
  9. Turkey<\/li>
  10. Austria<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Whilst much of our engagement is with users in Europe, unsurprisingly given this was the epicentre of the Holocaust, we are really delighted to see users joining us from Australia, South Africa, India, Brazil, South Korea, Japan, Chile, Malaysia, Taiwan, Argentina, Hong Kong, Phillippines, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Iran, Mexico, Pakistan, Indonesia, Colombia, Guatemala, Barbados, Uruguay, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Namibia, Kazakhstan, Macau, Migeria, The Ivory Coast, Ecuador, Cuba, UAE, Nepal, Oman, Myanmar, Egypt, Mauritius, Peru, and Lebanon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Outputs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The website and online discussions have been outputs in their own rights, but alongside this public-facing content there has been lots of work going on behind the scenes. In 2020 this has included:<\/p>\n\n\n\n